


Rogue's Adult Life

by Andy_Spn_Fan



Series: Rogue Quill Obfonteri Udonta's Life [2]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:06:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 156,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28552083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andy_Spn_Fan/pseuds/Andy_Spn_Fan
Summary: I also wish to add that I do not claim any songs in this work as my own and credit all of the artists for their own songs.
Series: Rogue Quill Obfonteri Udonta's Life [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091867





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I also wish to add that I do not claim any songs in this work as my own and credit all of the artists for their own songs.

Jay had taken Stakar up on his offer a couple of years ago and we hadn't talked in a while. Tonight will be changing all of that and it'll be interesting. I also had a boyfriend and that'll be changing too.

Yondu had just finished briefing the crew on a mission and claps. "A'right. This mission is big. Girl, yer gonna be stayin' on the ship 'till we need ya. Git." He says to the crew and I go up to him.

"Can I talk to you in private, Captain?" He nods and grabs my arm. He shoves me into his cabin and slams the door shut after him. "Captain, come on. I'm nearly twenty-two on Terra. I can help. I'm still scrawny enough to fit in the vents."

"An' yer tits?" I had grown and was a beautiful woman.

"If you don't want me in the vents, I can be a distraction! Please, Gramps? I want to help..." He rubs his face and sighs.

"Fine. Go see Segs 'bout somethin' ta wear." I chuckle a bit and grab a bag from near his door.

"I already had Segs make something for me. The place is gonna be crawling with guys and they love short skirts and long legs." He narrows his eyes at me and I smile before leaving to get changed quickly.

I meet Yondu, Kraglin, Dad, and Taz in the hangar and their jaws drop at what I'm wearing. Segs had designed me a tight-fitting dress that went a bit below mid-thigh and a jacket to go with it that would hide my shoulder holster for my knife while I had a blaster on my hip. I was wearing matching boots that went to my knees and, by Taz's face, I looked good.

"You do not have enough clothes on!" Dad yells and I roll my eyes.

"Don't have an aneurysm. It's for the mission. I don't know about you, but I want some money."

"For what?!"

"A rainy day. Now, let's go." I go towards the ship and Dad walks next to me before climbing up first, helping me get on the ship once I'm at the top of the ladder. "Thanks." I smile at him and he smiles tightly back. The others climb on and I watch as Yondu, Kraglin, and Dad strap into the seats while Taz and I grab onto the ship as we take off. More Ravagers are coming with but we're the only ones on Yondu's M-ship, the _Warbird_.

Yondu lands the ship in the dark, a bit of a hike away from the hit, and I smirk. "Showtime, boys." I go over to the ladder and slide down it before starting the hike. "Wait a couple of minutes before going to the hit. Give me some time to get them interested." I walk and end up where there are a few guards.

"Stop!" One of them yells and I walk closer. "Keep coming." They smirk and I giggle, going closer. "Hello there, miss. Are you lost?"

"Oh, not anymore. I do feel like I'm forgetting something, though..."

"Our frequencies?" One of the others suggest and they were all standing in front of me while the Ravagers went behind them to rob them blind.

"Y'know, I think that you're right. But, I forgot my communicator at home. I'm here visiting. The weather is amazing, don't you think?" I run my fingers up one of their arms and they smile, nodding. "And it's so beautiful all the time. It's amazing." I smile and keep them distracted.

When I see Yondu give the signal as they go past them, I keep them distracted for a bit longer before blowing them a kiss and walking back the way I came. Once I'm out of their line of sight, I bolt and climb onto the ship quickly. "Go!" I yell at whoever's piloting and we're out of the atmosphere and through a jump before they figure anything out.

We're back on the _Eclector_ and are heading to Contraxia. I get changed into my Ravager leathers and am finally old enough to drink with the rest of the crew without having to sneak around them.

"Ro! Let's go! We're celebrating planetside! You should come too! We couldn't have done it without you!" One of the Ravagers yell and I slide down a ladder to get planetside. I see my boyfriend of two years now, Atar of Charlie-27's crew, waiting for me at a bar and I go over to him.

"Babe!" He says as he smiles at me and wraps me in a hug, kissing me harshly, per usual. "You want some drinks?" I nod and he leads me inside. I follow and we sit at a booth.

"Rogue?!" I look over and see Jay, smiling widely.

"Jay! You son of a bitch!" I get up and go over to him, hugging him. "It's been years since I saw you! How's it been?!"

"Good! Captain Ogord is amazing!"

"Hey!"

"Not that Captain Udonta wasn't." He chuckles and I bring him back to the booth to sit with us.

"Atar, this is Jay, an old friend of mine. Jay, this is Atar, my boyfriend." They nod at each other and Atar looks at me.

"So, how'd the mission go?"

"It went great! Captain Udonta let me come with to be a distraction and listened to my ideas! We got away with all of the loot before they even knew what hit 'em!" I smile and he smiles back but I don't notice it's fake, too busy taking my drink and Jay's from the waiter. "Thanks." I give him a couple of units and he smiles at me so I smile back. "Anyway, what about you?" He smiles at me and takes something out of his pocket as I give Jay his drink.

"Close your eyes." I chuckle but do and hear him shifting around a bit as the whole bar goes silent. "Alright, open." I do and my smile falls to see him on one knee with a ring box in his hand. "These past two years with you have been great, babe. I want to take the next step. Will you take it with me?" He smiles at me and I look between him and the ring for a moment.

"No..."

"What?"

"No, I won't." I stand and he does too, slapping me hard across the face. The silence in the bar is deafening and I put my hand up to my cheek, glaring at Atar.

"Why not?! So you can keep whoring around for the Udonta clan?! Or so that you can whore around with this twig or that waiter?! You fucking willingly made yourself look like a slut to help out a clan that doesn't even care about you for anything more than what you can do for them with your body!"

"So just like you, huh?!" I shove him and he stumbles backward a couple of steps before taking them again to hit me across the other side of my face.

"You don't hit me, girl!" I suddenly grab him by his collar and slam him through a nearby table.

"No, you don't hit me, boy! Not anymore!" I vaguely see someone go outside and I follow them. I'm through the door before I'm suddenly eating snow and Atar is on top of me. I elbow him in the face and he tumbles off of me as I quickly get up, keeping my eyes on him this time.

"You bitch!" He charges at me and grabs my collar, throwing me. I grunt and get up, going back over to him.

"At least I'm not an asshat that thinks hitting women they date is OK!" He punches me in the face in the face twice and I crouch down after the second one, sweeping his legs out from under him. I quickly get on top of him and start hitting him with my right hand while my left hand holds onto the collar of his jacket.

I keep whaling on him until someone physically drags me off of him as people help Atar up and I headbutt whoever's holding me before attacking him again. "I'm tired of your bullshit, Atar!" I tackle him to the ground and punch him. "How do you like it?! You don't like getting beat on by the person you beat on for two damned years, do you?! Do you?!" I yell at him and punch him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"He's out! Get her off of him!" A few people grab me and pull me off of him.

"Let go of me!" I yank my arms out of their holds and don't go towards Atar again, chest heaving. I wipe my hand across my mouth and come back with blood. Atar comes too and starts to advance on me but is held back.

"Fuck you, you bitch!" He spits in my face and I wipe it away before going over to him, easily avoiding other people's hands.

"No, fuck you," I growl and give him a good Chuck Norris kick to knock him out and down before looking at him. "You aren't worth spitting on." I wipe my mouth again and walk away to get a drink at the bar, giving the bartender some extra units. "For that table."

Dad and Kraglin come in, sitting to the right of me, and Yondu and Jay come in too, sitting to my left. "Give me whatever's strongest. I don't care if it tastes like orloni piss." I say to the bartender and she nods, getting me a glass of it.

"What do you boys want?" Yondu orders for them and they all get some. I knock back my glass and grit my teeth at the slight burn as it goes down my throat. "Want it topped off?" I nod and she fills it again. Dad grabs my chin and tries to look at my face.

"I'm fine." I shove his hand away and drink it slower this time.

"Rogue." I look at Jay and he was looking at me, worried.

"Don't look at me like that. Let's just drink and celebrate a damned good haul. Alright?" I look at them and they nod. "Cheers." I raise my glass and they raise theirs before we slam them back. I look at Kraglin and his nose was bleeding. "What happened to your face?"

"Yer head."

"My bad." The bartender comes over to fill my glass and I put a hand over it. "That tastes worse than orloni piss. Give me what they're having." I give her units for my two glasses and she fills the glass with what the others have. "Just leave the bottle." I pay her for it and grab it, leading them over to a booth with it. Jay grabs something off of the floor before he sits in the booth across from me with the other three between me and him and I look to see it's the ring box, scoffing.

"This ring isn't even your style." He scoffs and we look at him. "I lived on the same ship as her for years and we spent every day together. I think I know her style. Besides, I talked to her about her dream ring. It looked more like this." He pulls out a ring box of his own and passes it over to me.

"Dude-"

"Just look at it." He looks at me and I slam the drink back before opening his ring box, looking at it. He takes it out and slips it on my finger. "See? Matches perfectly." He smiles at me and I chuckle, looking at it with narrowed eyes.

"Can't believe you remembered... That was... What? Ten years ago?"

"About, yeah. And of course, I would."

"Glad somebody did. Atar didn't remember shit." I fill my glass and Yondus too.

"Whatcha mean, girl?"

"I'd tell him something and he'd forget it ten minutes later. Then when I reminded him, he hit me." I shrug a bit and take a sip. "Guess it was my own fault..." I nurse my drink and Jay gently grabs my chin, inspecting my face. "What're you doing, Jay?"

"Making sure you only have cuts and bruises. And to see where in the Hell you got the idea that him hitting you was your fault. He didn't deserve you and you deserve better."

"Like who? You?" I scoff a bit and sip my drink. "You deserve better than me."

"I disagree. And yeah, I do mean me." I choke on my drink a bit and cough while Kraglin pats my back.

"I forgot how blunt you were. Damn." I cough and he chuckles.

"That's what you liked about me when we were younger."

"I also liked how you went along with my schemes and lies."

"I never could say no to your pretty face."

"You've been saying that for years. Not sure if I believe it much now."

"Guess I've got to remind you." He stands and comes over to me.

"What're you doing now, Jay?" He gently cups my face and kisses me deeply and gently, such a huge difference from Atar.

He pulls away after a moment and smirks at me. "You taste good drunk." I finish my drink and stand, pulling him in for another kiss, forgetting where I was.

"Alright! That's enough!" Dad pulls Jay away from me and makes him sit down while Kraglin does the same with me. He winks at me and I shake my head a bit, licking my lips a tiny bit.

"If I taste good drunk, you taste deliciously stupid." I chuckle and reach for the bottle only to have it pulled away by Stakar.

"I think you've had enough." I smile at him and he looks between me and Jay.

"Come on, Pops. Sit and have a drink with us. Just one more and I'll go to bed. You have my word." He narrows his eyes at me and nods, pulling a chair over before pouring each of us a new glass.

"To these two idiots finally realizing they love each other." Stakar toasts and motions to me and Jay.

"I'll toast to that, even though I'm one of the idiots!" I clink glasses with Stakar and the others follow suit before we each drink some. "How'd you know?"

"You stowed away on my ship to stay with him. It was pretty obvious." I nod a bit and look at the ring from Jay.

"So, what's this ring for?" Jay looks at the ring, his glass, then me and smiles.

"Marriage, if you accept it." The others choke on their drinks and we laugh a bit.

"Ask me again in the morning and possibly help me through the morning, and you might have yourself a future wife." He smiles and winks at me.

"Easy enough." We both finish our drinks and I stand, a little wobbly. He comes over and makes sure I'm balanced out. "Good?" I nod and he gently grabs my arm, leading me back on board the _Eclecor_. We go to my room and, as soon as the door's shut, I try to strip him out of his clothes. "Whoa, whoa! Rogue, not that I don't want to do that with you, it wouldn't be right of me to take advantage of you like this."

"Atar would... He said it felt better when I was like this... Come on, Jay..." He grabs my wrists and looks at me.

"Rogue, no. I am not going to do anything with you when you're drunk. Come on, let's get you in bed." He pulls the covers back and helps me into bed after taking my boots off. I lay down and he pets my hair gently. "Good night, Rogue." I fall asleep and he gets a cot to sleep on along with some water and stuff for my head when I wake up. He lays on the cot and falls asleep himself.

I wake the next morning to a pounding headache and sit up with a groan. Jay comes in quietly and smiles when he sees I'm awake. "Morning." He says softly and I wave at him a bit. "There's some water and something for your head right there." He points to it and I grab it, downing them both. He chuckles softly and sits on the cot while I swing my legs out of bed. "How do you feel?"

"Like Taz is pounding on my skull..." He chuckles softly and I stand. "I need to get something in my stomach just to be sure I won't burn my throat if I puke..." I head to the door and he follows both of us going to the mess.

As soon as we're there, the Ravagers start whistling and pounding on the table, making my headache worse. "The newest Ravager couple!" Taz yells and I hold my head a bit, feeling like the room's spinning. Jay gently grabs my shoulder and keeps me steady as the mess goes silent with a growled threat from him.

"Awe! Yer protectin' her a'ready." Kraglin teases loudly and I flip him off as we both go to get food. Jay starts to go to a table with some other Ravagers and I just pull him with me to Yondu's table.

"Rogue! I can't sit up there!" He hisses at me and I look at him, unamused.

"Sit." I shove him to be sitting on the bench before sitting next to him and start eating.

"Yes, Ma'am." He mutters and I spit my food out onto Dad in shock.

"Attractive," He says drily and I flip him off.

"I think she's very attractive, Quill," Jay growls and I laugh, kinda choking on a bite of food for a second before I swallow it.

"You're doing great this morning." Rocket laughs and I flip him off too. "Careful, your middle finger will get stronger than the rest of them." He smirks and I glare at him before just going back to eating.

"So, wha' ya remember 'bout las' nigh'?" Yondu asks and I look at him, thinking a bit, not noticing the silence in the mess.

"I turned down a proposal, beat the shit out of Atar, drank with you guys and Stakar, and Jay sorta asked me to marry him. The usual night." I shrug and pat Jay's back as he chokes on a drink. "I may be hungover, but I still remember what happened because I didn't get that drunk."

"What's your answer?!" Someone yells from across the mess and I think, looking at the ring on my finger. I take it off and give it back to Jay, who looks sad.

"He didn't ask me for real," I smirk at Jay and he gapes at me as he takes the ring. "I can't give you an answer until you ask me for real, alienboy." He looks at the ring then at me and finally at Dad since he was glaring daggers at him.

"Do I have your blessing to ask her? You never really answered last time I asked..." He chuckles nervously and I glare at Dad.

"If you're crazy enough to kiss her in front of us when neither of you has any booze in your system, yes." He smirks at us and I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously before looking at Jay to see him blushing blue.

"Oh for the love of..." I mutter under my breath and stomp on his foot. He looks at me and gently grabs my face before kissing me.

He pulls away after a couple of moments and looks to see Dad had his jaw dropped. "So... I have your blessing?" He just nods, not sure how to speak right now, and Jay smirks, looking at me. "Do you want to marry me?"

"Wow... Such a tear-jerking proposal," I say sarcastically and he chuckles.

"Do you want to or not, shorty?" I scoff and roll my eyes, pretending to think it over. "Any chance you can hurry up and answer? This is awkward as Hell..." He chuckles nervously and I smirk at him. "Come on, Rogue!" He scowls at me and I smile.

"Answer, damn you!" Taz yells and I flip him off before taking the ring from Jay, studying it. I slip it on my ring and look at it.

"Well... It does look good on my hand..." I smile at Jay before he has me in his arms, spinning me around, and laugh.

"Was that a yes?" One of the Ravagers whispers to another and Jay sets me down, kissing me. "Never mind..." They chuckle and they all cheer loudly.

"Did you ever figure your name out?" He asks when he pulls away and I nod. "What is it?"

"Rogue Quill Obfonteri Udonta."

"That's long as Hell." He chuckles and I smile, shrugging. "A lot like your legs." He murmurs and blushes while I laugh.

"Are you trying to flirt?" I tease and he shrugs, sitting back down. "Awe, it's OK." I tease as I sit next to him and he grabs my hand, looking it over. "What?"

"You're right, the ring does look good on you." He smiles at me and rubs my knuckles gently before looking at my face, eyes narrowing. "He left bruises..." He growls, tense, and I shrug.

"I left broken bones." He relaxes a bit at that and chuckles.

"True..." I finish my food and look up to see Stakar standing in the doorway. "Oh, come on. We gotta pack some clothes for you. You can't get stolen back to your home ship if you're still on it, can you?" He raises an eyebrow when I look confused and I chuckle.

"This'll be fun to watch." I dump my tray on the cart and go to get some clothes packed with Jay right behind me the whole time. "So, what do you want to do for the wedding?"

"If it's OK with you, I want it on Xandar... Or Terra?" I freeze and look at him.

"Not on Terra. I'm not stepping foot on Terran soil ever again." He nods and I sigh softly, thinking. "I think having it on Xandar would be great but all of the people and Nova Corp would make it difficult to be in our Ravager colors." He nods and sighs softly. I go over to him and wrap my arms around his neck gently. "I want us to wear Ravager colors because they were the colors we were wearing when I fell for you... Before you left, remember that? I couldn't even bring myself to see you off... I holed myself up in my room for a while until I was sure you were gone and threw myself into work to try to forget you and my feelings for you... Then Atar came and said he could help me..."

"Did he?" I look at him as he wraps his hands around my waist and looks me in the eye. "Did he help you forget about your feelings for me?"

"No... If anything, he made them grow... That's why I said no to him... We've been sorta dating since I came on the _Eclector_ , Jay... And I'd never say yes to marrying anybody else..." I rest my head against his shoulder and he holds me close. 

"I've been dreaming about this since you stowed away on Stakar's ship to stay with me..." He kisses my head and I let him go after a moment, smiling at him. "So, the wedding? Where were you thinking?"

"Remember that planet with all of the beaches?" He nods and I smile. "There."

"Why there?" I start packing again and think back.

"That was the last place we kissed before you left for the _Starhawk_. Remember?" He smiles and nods.

"Alright. I can work with that." I smile and swing my bag onto my shoulder. "Ready?" I nod and we go to the hangar, boarding his M-ship.

"What'd you name this?" He looks around the ship and smiles.

" _Autumn_. You said that that was your favorite season." I smile and strap into the co-pilot seat while he does the same in the pilot ship. He pilots us back to the _Starhawk_ and I vaguely notice Stakar following us with another M-ship. 

We dock in the hangar and we get off of the ship as Stakar, Martinex, and a couple of other crewmates step off. "Sparkles!" I smile and Martinex smiles back at me, coming over to us. 

"Rogue, it has been too long." He hugs me and I hug him back.

"I agree. I missed your banter with Captain Udonta." He chuckles and holds me at arm's length from him, looking me over.

"You've grown up nicely." He smiles and Jay gently grabs my hand, squeezing a bit. I look at him and smile, making him relax a bit.

"Jay, Sparkles is like an uncle to me. Relax." He nods a bit and I smile at Martinex. "You look the same, I see. Meanwhile, Captain Ogord looks like he's seen better days." I smile at Stakar and he chuckles. The rest of the crew had left and I walk with Jay towards the control room, following Stakar and Martinex while we catch up.

"Fang stepped down from being lead mechanic?!" He looks at me and I nod. "So who's the new one? Is it you? If it isn't, that isn't fair. There's no one more hardworking in that hangar than you."

"Lucky for me, Fang agreed with that and Yondu listened to him, promoting me. So, other than being family, I have a good reason to sit at the table with him." He looks at me, confused, and I elaborate. "After you left they implemented that the leads of all the teams would sit at the table with the Captain, First Mate, and his family."

"What about the rest of the team?"

"They didn't agree and accused Captain of favoritism. So, Yondu and Kraglin decided to prove that I was the best one for the job."

"How?"

"He had Kraglin take apart two engines, making sure no one else saw, and had the entire team put one together while I put one together on my own."

"How'd you do?"

"Pretty good at the end. They finished their engine first and when Yondu started it, it died and fell apart almost immediately. They rushed through and I took my time to make sure it was done properly."

"What'd you do after you finished the engine?"

"I watched the rest of them struggle until Captain and Kraglin told me to help them. They didn't accuse him of favoritism again." Stakar chuckles from in front of us and nods.

"Sounds like Yondu. And congratulations."

"Thank you, Captain."

"So you're the lead mechanic and go on missions?" I nod and he smiles. "Anything else you can do?"

"Kraglin, Dad, and Captain Udonta taught me to be a kickass pilot and how to take people down with blasters, too. Rocket taught me how to shoot other ships down. Gamora taught me how to defend myself some more with Kraglin. Groot taught me... Well, not much since Rocket had to translate." He chuckles and I smile. "Drax and Mantis showed me how to control my emotions and use them in my favor." He smiles at me and kisses my cheek.

"You're amazing." He whispers and I smile a bit.

"Thanks." He grabs my hand and we go to the control room. Stakar had a couple of holopads and hands them to me. "What're these for?"

"Look through them and find the spot for your wedding. Quill asked me to get it ready for you because he's not good at the technical stuff and didn't want to ask the rat."

"Rocket." I correct quietly and he smirks a bit. "I can do that." I look around and see someone take down a hologram of the _Eclector_ , chuckling. "I'll go to the mess and look through these." Stakar nods and I go to the mess, sitting at a table to look through the holopads. I find a couple with the planet we talked about and focus on those.

I find one where we could get married on the beach and smile a bit, focusing on that one now. Someone walks in and I turn to see Jay coming in. "Hey. How's it coming?" He sits next to me and I show him it. "Wow... That looks amazing." He smiles and takes it, looking through it too. "Oh, we can rent a room at the hotel for a while." He smirks at me and I smile. "That's going to be happening." He looks through it more and gives me a smirk that looks predatory.

"What's that for?" I chuckle nervously and he looks at me.

"Well, we should do something while we wait for them to come to kidnap you. And we can't let our first time together be in some random bed, now can we?" I gape at him and he smirks more, picking me up to toss me over his shoulder as I shriek a bit. He chuckles and carries me through the ship.

"Jay! Put me down, alienboy!" I laugh and he holds me on his shoulder with an arm around my legs and a hand on my ass.

"No can do, shorty. Not yet, at least." He opens a door and shuts it before gently tossing me on a bed. "Now... How about we do something fun while we wait?" I nod a bit and he climbs on the bed after me, predatory smirk still on his face. I sit up on the bed, scooting back a bit, and he licks his lips. "Oh no, you don't!" He grabs my thighs and pulls me back down to a laying position. "You aren't getting away from me that easily." He kisses me and I kiss him back.

He slowly moves his lips down my jaw and onto my throat. I tilt my head and moan, digging a hand in his hair gently. He chuckles against my skin and sits up, pulling me up with him. "You have too many clothes on." He pushes my jacket off of my shoulders and I pull it off before doing the same with him, pulling his shirt over his head. He chuckles and takes my shoulder holster off, setting it down on the nightstand before stripping my shirt off. He freezes at that point and I lick my lips a bit.

"If you like this, you should get my pants off and see th- Whoa!" I chuckle as he yanks my pants down to my ankles and stares at my green lingerie. "If I remember right, you love the color green. Cuz of your eyes." I smirk and he growls deep in his throat, making me shiver a bit.

"You like that sound?" He growls again and I groan softly, closing my legs a bit. "Oh, you do, don't you?" He smirks and pulls my legs apart again, running a finger across the panties. "Mmm... You've nearly soaked these through..." He stands and pulls my boots and pants off before crawling between my legs. I watch him and kind of gulp when he gives me that smirk. "You wanna know what I'm gonna do to you, Rogue?" I nod and he smirks, gently running his fingers across my thighs.

"I'm gonna take these pretty green lingerie off of you and eat you out until you're shaking." He growls and takes the lingerie off of my body, eyes roving over my naked body. "So damned beautiful..." He murmurs and kisses me.

I kiss him back and he starts to trail kisses down my body, paying special attention to my breasts. He nips both of them and I moan, which only manages to goad him on. He gets his head between my legs and licks a slow stripe across me. I grab his hair in one hand and the sheet in the other as he continues, spurred on by me.

He pulls away and licks his lips, smirking at me. "You taste good." I blush a bit and he chuckles, leaning down to kiss me. I groan into his mouth and he pulls away, starting to take his pants off while I watch him.

"Jay...?" He looks at me and smiles gently at me. "Just, um... Just be gentle, OK?" He smiles and nods.

"Always, sweet girl." He gently cups my cheek and kisses me again as he gently pushes into me. I gasp against his lips and hold onto the back of his neck tightly. "Gods... I thought that asshat had done stuff with you..." He breathes out and I blush more, shaking my head. "So he didn't? How'd he use you when you were drunk then? Your mouth?" He gently runs his thumb over my lips and I nod slightly. "Well, don't you worry about me using you like that. I don't like the idea of teeth that close to..." He shudders a bit and gently rocks into me.

"Jay..." I groan softly and bury a hand in his hair while the other holds onto his shoulder. He keeps gently rocking into me until he's fully in and just holds still.

"You OK?" He asks gently and I nod, holding him tighter. "Relax, sweet girl... It's OK..." He murmurs and leans down to kiss me. I relax and kiss him back. "Good girl..." He rocks into me and I moan, nodding a bit.

"Move... Please..." He gently holds my hips and starts to move. I moan and he keeps moving, slowly building up speed. He reaches a hand up to gently cup my face and I turn my head, kissing his hand.

"Mmm..." He hums and moves very fast. "Do you like this, sweet girl? Being under me while I fuck you?" I nod and he fucks me harder, reaching a hand down to rub at my clit. "Gonna have to thank Doc for letting me study the Terran anatomy." He smiles at me and I blush.

"Yeah, you will... God..." I moan and he fucks me harder and faster, making sure he rubs my clit at the same speed. "Fuck..."

"You gonna cum?" I nod and he smiles. "Cum, sweet girl." I groan and cum hard around him. He thrusts a few more times before cumming and panting softly with me. "Mmm. How did that feel, Rogue?"

"Great..." He slowly pulls out and grabs something to clean us up with gently before leaning down to kiss me. I hum and kiss him back, pressing kisses to his lips after he pulls away. He chuckles and lays next to me, holding me close after covering us up. I nuzzle my head into his chest and wrap my arms around him, falling asleep in his arms. He holds me closer and falls asleep himself after a little while since Stakar had let him take the rest of the day to spend with me and plan the wedding. But, we can always do that after we wake up and shower.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm on the _Starhawk_ for a month before anything happens and it happens after I'm out of the shower. I go into Jay's room with not many clothes on and start to dig around my bag for some of my Ravager leathers because I don't like many other clothes due to the fact I finally had a real family when I put them on. Someone grabs me from behind and covers my mouth with their hand as I tense, getting ready to hurt them.

"Not a word, Rogue," Fang whispers in my ear and I relax as he lets go of me. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time." I cross my arms over my chest and he looks me over, blushing dark blue as he sees the set of blue underwear on me. "Af-After you get some clothes on..." I grab my clothes and pull them on quickly. He hears and looks at me once I'm done. "Good... Let's go." He grabs my arm and leads me out of the room where Yondu was waiting. Yondu sweeps me into his arms and they run away from the room then through the ship, avoiding people easily.

We get to the hangar and board the _Warship_ before Kraglin is piloting us out of the hangar, back towards the _Eclector_ as Yondu sets me on the floor. "How about we don't talk about what I saw?" Fang asks and Yondu looks between me and Fang while Kraglin looks at us, both of them confused.

"He thought it would be a good idea to snatch me from the room after I showered," I fill them in and he blushes while Yondu blushes a little purple, focusing on piloting now. He docks and we all get off, going to the control room to wait for the call from Stakar and Jay. I go over to the line of Yondu's trinkets and smile, looking at them.

"Oh, that reminds me!" I dig in my pocket and give something to Yondu, who was sitting in his Captain's chair. "A new trinket for you, Captain." He looks at it and sets it next to his other ones.

"Wha's it?" He bops the head and it bobbles side to side.

"It's a bobblehead from Terra... I got it from the chick you always got my batteries from a while back, I just kept forgetting to give it to you. It's supposed to be a Doberman, a type of dog." He nods and chuckles.

"Thanks, girl."

"You're welcome, Captain." There's beeping and I go over to him as he answers.

_"Captain Udonta."_ Jay had that predatory smirk on his face and his eyes flick to me before back to Yondu.

"Boy."

_"You sure took your sweet time to come and get her. A month?"_ Yondu chuckles and shrugs.

"Wha' can Ah say? Ah wanted ta give the two'a ya time ta yerselves." He smirks and Jay chuckles. I hear the chuckle throughout some other parts of the ship and Jay looks at me, able to tell I heard.

_"I wanted to let the whole ship know that I was on my way to come and get my girl back. You might finally get to see that sword fight."_ He smirks at me and I smile slightly as he winks at me. _"I'll see you soon, sweet girl."_ He ends the transmission and everyone in the control room looks at me.

"'Sweet girl'?" Yondu laughs and I shrug. "Krags, take her ta m'quarters. Can't make it easy fer tha' boy."

"Aye, Cap'n." He leads me to Yondu's room and looks at me with a smirk.

"Don't you start," I mutter and Kraglin opens the door for me to see Gamora waiting on the couch with some drinks and some snacks on the table. I go over and plop on the couch next to her, smiling as Kraglin shuts the door.

"You allow him to call you 'sweet girl'?" She asks and I shrug as I grab a glass of wine, raising an eyebrow at her. "It's to ensure that you don't miss out on all of the fun." She waves her hand at all of the screens and I grab some snacks too, settling in to watch the show. She wraps a large blanket around us and grabs her own glass of wine. "To your stealing." I chuckle and clink glasses with her, taking a sip.

"This is gonna be good." I flick my eyes from each screen and munch on the snacks with her. I start to think about Jay fighting his way through the crew to get to me and take a drink of the wine to hide my slight blush, squirming down deeper under the blanket. "They still haven't put a camera in the hangar?"

"Where would you make out in secret with Jay if they did?" Gamora smirks at me and I gape at her before drinking the wine, blushing as she chuckles.

"Maybe it's a good thing they don't have cameras in the hangar... There's some outside of it, anyway..." I watch the screens and hear people talking.

_"Team Looney, come in. Sylvester here. Are you clear on where Tweety might be hidden by Granny?"_

_"Copy, Sylvester. Fudd here. Team Looney knows where to look. Bugs and Daffy are looking now. Check-in with Team Disney. They seemed confused."_

_"Copy, Fudd. Move when ready. Team Disney, are you clear?"_

_"Yes, Sylvester. Donald here. Goofy and Pluto are looking. We'll update when needed."_

_"Copy."_ The voices stop and I smile, loving the code names.

"Are the names derived from Terran shows?" I nod and look at the screens.

"There he is!" I point to the top corner to see him squirming through a vent opening and smile. "Ooh, smart move, alienboy... But now I can't watch for you... That's just cruel..." I pout and see him landing onto a couple of crew members from another opening on another screen, the mess. "That's more like it!" I sit up on the couch and watch, holding the wine glass in my hands. Gamora chuckles and watches too.

I watch him knock out a couple of crewmates and lick my lips a bit before taking a sip of the wine. He looks right at the camera and winks.

_"I'm coming for you, my sweet girl. Keep yourself warm for me."_ He says clearly and, thanks to years of practice, I can read his lips, blushing a bit.

"What did he say?" Gamora asks and I shrug a bit, drinking the wine. She chuckles and points to a screen. "There's Peter. He does remember this is non-lethal, I hope." I look and see Dad knocking people out with his blaster.

"Yondu had everyone set their blasters to stun." She nods and I look through the screens to find Jay, pouting slightly when I can't. She points him out and I watch as he and Martinex take out a couple more of Yondu's crew. "Jesus, they aren't holding back..." I chuckle and Jay winks at the camera again, just to screw with me. "That son of a bitch is teasing me!" I huff and finish the wine, munching on the snacks. 

Martinex, Stakar, and a few other members of the _Starhawk_ go into the control room and I watch as they fight the crew there while Jay sneaks around the fighting. I move my eyes to the screen outside of Yondu's room and they go wide when I see the bigger parts of the crew there. Jay rolls a couple of things into the hallway and the crewmates fall to the floor, out. He goes over to the door and hacks it.

I look over as the door opens and he comes in, smirking his predatory smirk at me. "Hey there."

"Hello." I start to stand and Gamora pulls me down, standing with a fighting stick to stand between us.

"Really? You're gonna be part of this too?" She nods and I stand, hitting her over the back of the head to knock her out. She falls to the floor and I grimace slightly.

"Sorry, 'Mora." Jay comes over and grabs my hand.

"Shit's about to get crazy so hold tight and keep up." I squeeze his hand and we run out of the room then the control room. He whistles and Yondu's crew dives out of the way, thinking it was Yondu.

"Thanks, boys!" I chuckle and run to the hangar as Jay drops some more gas bombs to keep those Ravagers down. Some of Stakar's crew joins us and we run into the hangar before I slow down. Jay looks at me and I narrow my eyes around the room.

"Rogue, let's go! We're nearly there!"

"This is too easy..." I grab a tool and toss it forward before a net falls, followed by Rocket, Groot, Kraglin, Dad, and Fang while Yondu comes around a corner. "See what I mean?" A group of Stakar's crew pushes me into a circle behind them and fight to keep me while Jay fights Fang.

"Y'know, I was the one to get her. She had just gotten out of the shower and some nice lookin' clothes on." Fang smirks at Jay and my eyes widen.

"Jay! Non-lethal!" I holler and he just punches Fang, knocking him out. I look around and see some carts at the top of a slight incline which they were at the bottom of, carefully going up to them. "Hey! Am I allowed to fight too?!" They look at each other and shrug.

"Don' see why not..." Yondu shrugs and I smirk. 

"Great!" I quickly shove all of the carts down the incline and they launch themselves to the side to avoid them while Jay runs up, dodging around them. He scoops me into his arms and runs onto _Autumn_ , shutting the drop-down door.

"Go get strapped in, darlin'..." He sets me on the floor and we both rush to the seats, strapping in quickly with me in the pilot seat. "I'm piloting."

"I'm faster," I smirk and start it up, undocking before going out of the hangar. We suddenly stop and I hit the arm of the seat. "Damn! They caught us in the tractor beam!" I quickly tap on my wrist com and hack into the _Eclector_ to turn it off.

"How'd you do that?" I just smirk and pilot us quickly away from the _Eclector_. Some of Yondu's ships try to stop me and I smirk, going to enjoy this.

"Hold on!" I steer around them and turn us upside down to avoid another oncoming ship. I right the ship and see another one coming straight at us, seeing Dad piloting. "You crazy bastard!" I quickly pull up and spin us around a bit to avoid the _Milano_.

_"Nice pilotin', girl!"_ Yondu yells over the intercom and I see _Warbird_ and _Cawl_ flying out of the hangar too.

"You guys are fucking insane!" I laugh and look at Jay to see him watching me, pupils larger than his irises. "Oh? Do you like what you see?" He nods and I smirk. "Thanks, guys! Your insanity finally played in my favor!"

_"Whatcha mean, girl?"_ Kraglin asks and I smirk.

"You just helped me find a way to make Jay absolutely predatory." I hear gags from all of them and look at Jay, turning the communications off. "Are you good at blasting ships?" He nods a bit and I nod back. "Help me out here. Stun their ships and I'll pilot. Alright?" He nods and unstraps, running to the spot to do just that.

"Ready!" He yells and I turn communications back on.

"Let's fucking go, lads!" I do a nose dive to go under the _Milano_ and hear the gun go off before Dad's cursing through the coms. "Get the _Cawl_ next!" I yell over my shoulder and steer a bit so he can stun it.

_"Damn!"_ Kraglin yells through coms and I smirk.

"You ready, Jay?!"

"Let's do this!" I smirk more and flip us over before Jay stuns the _Warbird_. "Hell yeah! Let's fucking go!" I laugh and right us before zooming for the _Starhawk_. "Two ships flanking us!" I look at them and recognize them as Stakar and Martinex's ships. "Stun 'em?!"

"No! It's Captain Ogord and Sparkles! Took you guys long enough to join the party!"

_"Figured we'd let you two lovebirds get rid of some of the competition for us!"_ Martinex laughs and I see the jump.

"Jump for the _Starhawk_ is coming up!" I go through it with them and we dock in the hangar, officially winning. Jay runs up to me and nips my neck, wanting to leave marks so I tilt my head to let him since they would be easy to cover up with my hair.

"We won." He smirks and I stand after unstrapping, leaving the ship with him. "We stole the bride back!" The entire crew cheers and I smile.

"Gods damned right!" I notice the _Milano,_ _Warbird,_ and _Cawl_ docking on the other side of the hangar and smile. Yondu and Taz get off of the _Warbird_ , Kraglin and Fang get off of the _Cawl_ , and Dad and Rocket get off of the _Milano_.

"That was some damned good flying!" Rocket smirks at me and I crouch to give him the handshake I made him learn when I was younger.

"Damned straight it was!" Dad hugs me once I straighten up and hold me at arm's length, looking at me. "God, you're all grown up..." I roll my eyes and look at Yondu and Kraglin.

"Tha' was some good flyin', girl." Yondu claps a hand on my shoulder and I stand straighter at the praise.

"Thank you, Captain." Kraglin ruffles my hair and I give him a mock glare as I fix it before looking at Dad. "How's Gamora? I kinda knocked her out." He gapes at me and Yondu laughs.

"She'll be fine. She'll just need some ice," Dad explains after a moment and I nod.

"Good." Jay wraps an arm around my waist and tugs me close, glaring at Fang. I gently move his arm and go over to Fang. "Fang, how's your face?" I gently grab it and look at the bruise. Jay growls and Fang smirks at him before wincing at me.

"Hurts bad. But, a kiss might make it better." He makes a pathetic face at me and I pout slightly.

"Well we can't have that, can we? Close your eyes." He smirks at Jay and closes his eyes. I wave my hand in front of his face before punching him on the other side and he falls to the floor with a grunt while I shake my hand out slightly. 

"What was that for?!" He yells as he stands up and I raise an eyebrow at him. 

"The comment you made while you were fighting Jay. I know we can get crude with our humor, but that was taking it a step too far." I say in an understanding tone and suddenly grab him by the collar, pinning him against the _C_ _awl_. "And, if you ever mention what I was wearing when you broke into my room while I was showering again, you'll be swallowing your teeth so fast you won't even be able to get out a cry for help. We clear?" I growl and he gulps slightly before nodding.

"Fully clear," He says and I let him go, smiling at him.

"Good." I go back over to Jay, who had been watching me, and he makes eye contact with me, his pupils even larger somehow.

"Anything else you learned that I should know about before we get married?" He asks and I shrug a bit, smirking.

"What fun would it be if I showed you all of my secrets now?" He shrugs and wraps an arm around my waist again, holding me close. I chuckle softly and let him for a moment so he'd relax before pulling away. He narrows his eyes at me a bit and I smile at him, making him relax for the most part.

"Yer good fer each other." Yondu claps a hand on Jay's back, making him stumble a bit, and rests a hand on my shoulder. I smile and Jay nods his agreement.

"Now, I vote we go to Contraxia and drink."

"Fer wha'?" Kraglin looks at me and I kinda roll my eyes.

"A successful Stealing of the bride. For us, anyway. The crew is lacking in training and practice for this type of thing." Yondu narrows his eyes at me and I just smile.

"Careful whatcha say, girl."

"I'm teasing, Captain. Jay just had more time to prepare with Captain Ogord's crew than our crew did."

"Wait, wait." I look at Jay and he looks at me. "You aren't joining the Ogord clan?"

"No."

"Do you expect me to join the Udnonta clan again? I hope you don't because I'm lead mechanic here and I'm not going to leave that."

"I never said you had to do either of those things. Calm down." He narrows his eyes at me and I gently grab his arms. "Relax..." I say gently and softly and he does as Stakar kicks his crew out to pilot the _Starhawk_ to Contraxia while Yondu contacts the _Eclector_ to let them know to pilot to Contraxia as well.

"If neither of us joins the other clan, how are we going to stay together?" Jay asks as we walk away from the others a bit and I pull him to sit on some unopened crates, sitting next to him.

"I've been talking to Yondu about making a co-lead of mechanics... In case you wanted to come back to his clan... Because I know that neither of us would be able to leave the jobs we've gotten on the ships... But, with you as a co-lead of mechanics, we'll be able to stay together... I can't leave the _Eclector_ , Jay... It's my home..." I gently hold his hand and he looks at me, thinking.

"If you can get Captain Udonta to agree to that, I'll come back with you after the wedding." He gently cups my face and rubs my cheek with his thumb.

"If he does and you do come back, I'll be higher in the ranks than you since I've been the lead longer... Is... Is that OK?" I ask nervously and he nods.

"Of course it is. Besides..." He carefully moves my hand so it brushes across the bulge in his pants and I look at him. "Seeing you take control of things is hot and gets me all hard for you..." He whispers in my ear and gently nips it. I chuckle softly and turn my head to kiss his cheek.

"I like your face right now... The way your hair is..." I gently run my fingers through his hair and look at his face. "I like the stubble... It feels nice..." He chuckles and smiles at me.

"Blegh!" Rocket gags and I roll my eyes, flipping him off. "If the two of you are done being like that over there, we're landing for drinks."

"Good." I stand with Jay and look at Rocket. "Do they even allow rats in bars?" I raise an eyebrow and he throws his head back, laughing.

"Do they even allow crazy Terrans in there?"

"Touche," I smirk slightly and he leaves the hangar to go drink. "Time to celebrate, boys! Let's go!" I follow Rocket and slide down the ladder to land planetside. Dad follows, doing the same thing, and I roll my eyes, looking around. He hands me some gloves and I take them, slipping them on. "Thanks." He nods and I wait for the others before heading to a bar with them that had games. "I haven't been in here in a while."

"Yeah, the two of you would try to sneak drinks from under our noses." Taz scoffs and I shrug.

"It worked."

"You thought it did. The drinks you two snatched didn't have a drop of alcohol," Fang smirks and Jay rolls his eyes.

"Well, damn. That sucks. I bet I can still kick your ass in the piloting game, Krags." I smirk at Kraglin and he scoffs.

"Yer crazy an' never won."

"Sure I did." 

"Only cuz I letcha tha' one time." He smirks at me and I glare at him.

"Then let's see who wins this time."

"Yer on." We go over to the piloting game and start to play.

"Yeah! Kick her ass, Krags!" Dad hollers and I glare at him for a moment before focusing on the game again, losing to him.

"I ain't even try, girl." He smirks at me and I scoff.

"Neither did I. That was a practice run to get the hang of it again." He rolls his eyes and I notice the others smirking. "Fuck you guys. Come on, Kraggles. We're playing again." He freezes and looks at me before it dawns on me what I called him. "Sorry, Krags..." He glares at me and gets ready to play again.

"Yer gonna be when Ah kick yer ass." He growls and I smirk.

"Yeah, right. I know your tricks, Krags. You taught them to me." He smirks back and we start to play. He doesn't hold back and neither do I.

"Kick his ass, Rogue!" Jay hollers and I yank the controls up to avoid Kraglin's ship in the game, pressing the buttons to shoot at it. He narrowly avoids it and shoots at me. I do a loop and shoot all the while, getting his ship in the wings. The screens flash with me as the winner and I smile at Kraglin.

"Ya learned tha' from yer Daddy, not me." He was smirking slightly and I shrug a bit.

"Drastic measures. I was gonna lose again." He scoffs and Yondu laughs, as I notice the shooting game. "Captain, wanna see who's better with the blaster game?"

"Naw."

"What? Scared you'll lose?" The bar was loud so I knew no one could hear me and he smirks his knife smirk at me.

"Yer on, girl." He strides over to the game and I follow, standing next to him before we both grab one of the blasters. The game starts and we start playing. Yondu does better than I thought he would and I miss the first few targets.

The game ends with Yondu as the winner and he smirks at me. "Quill!" Dad turns to us and comes over before Yondu hands him his blaster.

"Hell yeah!" I smirk at Dad and he raises an eyebrow at me. "You're going down, old man!" He gapes at me and starts the game. I aim at the targets and get them all head-on while Dad does the same, tied. The game then starts again, harder, and offers us a second blaster. I grab my second one while Dad keeps his one and I blast the targets quickly.

The game ends with me as the winner and I put the blasters back before moonwalking, ending it in a spin. Dad was smiling and chuckles at me. "I forgot how good you were at that. Who taught you to shoot?"

"Everybody. Rocket and Gamora taught me how to shoot with two blasters at the same time." He nods a bit and Rocket laughs.

"Damned straight I did!" He had a drink and raises it at me after Jay hands me one. "To being a damned good shot!" I smile and raise mine slightly at him before we both slam them back. He coughs a bit and I chuckle, licking my lips. "What in the Gods was that?"

"The Terran equivalent of Vodka." A voice says from behind me and I spin to see Atar there. "Been a while, baby."

"I ain't your baby."

"Sure you are. You're just confused with what you're doing right now with this twig." He nods at Jay and he steps forward, stopping when I put my arm up. "See? You don't want me to hurt your twig." He smirks coldly at me and I glare at him.

"Nah. I just want his hands to keep working cuz he got farther with me in a month than you did in two years. Cuz he likes me for real, unlike you." He looks pissed and swings at me. I catch his arm and tut at him. "Not so fast, boy." I punch him in the nose and he stumbles backward, tripping over Dad's boot to land on his ass. He starts to stand and Kraglin kicks him to keep him there. Yondu whistles and his arrow is flying towards Atar's face as he crawls backward to try to get away from it. Yondu keeps whistling to keep it close to his nose and I follow as he crawls backward, the bar silent now.

"Captain." I look at him and he whistles, bringing his arrow back to his shoulder.

"See? You still love me! Or else you'd let him kill me!" Atar snarls as he stands and I look at him.

"No, I don't care what happens to you. I do care about what happens to the Udonta clan. If you ever come near me again or try to lay a finger on me, well... I won't be so partial to stopping them if there's a next time." He glares at me and I keep my hands near my knife and blaster just in case. "Now, here's what's going to happen. You're going to walk away and stay away from me. If it doesn't happen in the next ten seconds, we'll gladly help you. Leave. Now." I growl and he gapes at me. "I ain't gonna count down for you!" He starts to walk away but suddenly grabs my hair and pulls me against his body with a blaster to my head.

"Nah, baby. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna take you back to my ship and we're getting married." He growls and I growl low in my throat as he turns to walk backward toward the door.

"Big. Fucking. Mistake." I plant my foot onto his and activate one of my blaster boots, keeping my boot on his to burn the Hell out of it. He throws me to the floor and I deactivate them, righting myself quickly to keep my eyes on him. I grab both of my blades and swing at him. He moves backward and I keep swinging the blades at him to get him outside before throwing a blade into his leg.

He falls to the snowy ground with a yell and I go over, yanking my knife out of his leg. I grab his collar and show him the blue blood on the blade. "If you want to keep your blood in your body from here on out, leave me the fuck alone. Don't come near me again. You come near me and try this shit again, I will kill you!" I growl and hit him across the face with the handle of my knife, knocking him out. I wipe my blade on his coat and slide it back into its holster before doing the same with my other one, turning to see Jay coming over to me while the others follow a bit behind.

"Hey... You alright?" I run a hand through my hair and he gently grabs it, squeezing it. I grab his collar and pull him into a kiss, pulling away after a moment. "Wh-What was that for?"

"You are the only one I like... I don't give a damn about him... I like you..."

"You mean love, right?" I swallow a bit and nod. "Say it..."

"I can't..."

"Why?"

"I just... I can't, OK?" He wraps his arms around me and I wrap my arms around him too.

"OK... OK..." He presses my head into his shoulder and kisses my head gently. I just take a moment before pulling away and rubbing my face, taking a deep breath to calm fully. "You alright?" He smiles gently at me and I smile back a bit, nodding.

"I need some drinks..." I go to a different bar and get a couple of bottles of stuff Yondu likes before going to a table next to some of Stakar's crew with them. We sit and Jay sits next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders just because.

"What are we drinking to?" Martinex asks as I pour drinks for my table and pick my glass up.

"To the bride getting stolen back and to Atar getting his ass kicked again."

"I'll drink to that." Jay grabs his glass and the others do too, raising them slightly before slamming them back.

Atar stumbles in and over to Charlie-27 in the now silent bar. "Captain-" He's cut off when Charlie-27 punches him in the face and I watch with a smirk as he falls on his ass.

"You have been stripped of your flames. Get out and stay away from the clans." He says and Atar says nothing as he tucks his tail between his legs and leaves the bar. I pour everyone another drink and raise my glass.

"To that asshat no longer being a Ravager." They raise their glasses with a cheer and slam the drinks back before slamming the glasses down on the table. I catch Charlie's eyes from across the bar and he gives me a small grin before going back to doing whatever he was doing before. Dad pours us more and I take a drink, remembering something as I quickly put the glass down.

"I just remembered, I found a possible job." I pull a holopad out of my pocket and give it to Yondu.

"When?"

"I'm skilled. Duh." I roll my eyes at Dad before looking at Yondu as he opens it and his eyebrows go up.

"Girl, yer crazy," Kraglin says, looking at it, and I smirk. 

"Just hear me out."

"It's on Xandar!" Dad hisses at me and I look at him.

"Gee, I thought it was on Knowhere. Thanks." I roll my eyes and look at Yondu again. "Hear me out, OK?"

"A'right..."

"I know it's a huge risk, but the reward... It's well worth it. That thing is worth a shipload of units after we divide it among the crew. And everyone planetside will be busy with some stupid party celebrating the founding of the Nova Corps."

"No." Kraglin shakes his head and I look at him.

"We don' shit where we eat." Dad looks at me and I nod.

"Yeah, yeah. But, Captain, the units we could get from this is hefty."

"And what if the one we sell it to rats us out to Nova Corps?"

"They won't be able to."

"Why's that?"

"They won't remember where they got it from. Doc and I have been working on stuff to sorta wipe memories for this kind of situation. It's still being worked on so it won't be ready in time for the hit if we do it, so I have a backup plan."

"An' wha's tha'?" Yondu looks at me and I smirk a bit.

"We steal a ship from much bigger Nova Corps criminals, use that to make the switch, and put it back with the criminals. If the buyer snitches on the ship, it can't be traced back to us because it will lead them to the bigger criminals and they aren't going to have reported it stolen. Besides, Nova Corps believe that Ravagers aren't stupid or crazy enough to steal from Xandar." I take a drink and watch as Yondu thinks it over.

"Not a bad plan, girl. Wha' if tha' group rats on us?"

"They aren't gonna know who do it. We strike at the time they're sleeping, hit them hard, and get out fast."

"How are we going to disable their security?" I look at Dad and raise an eyebrow. "Thieves want to keep their goods safe so they're bound to have good security, kid."

"And we're bound to have good hackers on the ship to steal one. Right, Rocket?" Rocket chokes on his drink and looks at me.

"Me?!"

"Yeah, you. You, a couple of other hackers, and I will be the ones to hack their ship and steal an M-ship from their hangar."

"And when they notice it missing?"

"Who said they were going to notice it missing? If everything goes according to plan, we'll have the ship back before they wake up. But, we're going to take one they won't miss."

"How do you know which ones they won't miss?" I take the holopad from in front of Yondu and swipe through some of the information, showing them the most wanted criminals of the Nova Corps. "You want to steal a ship from the Skrulls? Are you insane?!" Dad stands up, knocking his chair over, and I smirk at him.

"Yes, I am."

"The Skrulls take shifts sleeping, you won't be able to steal the hangar..." Jay says and I hit the table.

"Damn." I scroll through some other criminals and just pass over the Kree.

"Wha' were those?" Yondu looks at me and I glance at him for a moment before looking at the holopad again.

"Kree." He nods and I continue swiping through.

"Why don't we rent a basic ship and use that for the trade-off?"

"Nova Corps has all of us in their system, aliases included."

"Not you," Dad smirks and I chuckle softly, taking a drink. "Right?" I scratch the back of my neck slightly and chuckle nervously. "What the Hell did you do to get on the Nova Corps list?!"

"You remember that time I borrowed the _Milano_ and came back with a lot of units?"

"When you stole my ship and Dad whipped you for it? Yeah, I do. What about it?"

"There's a slight, possible, small, minuscule chance that I robbed a bunch of Nova Corps members and hid the units in the _Milano_ before getting caught on the suspicion of stealing from them. They didn't have proof so they let me go, after putting me in the system." I smile charmingly and they all look at me like I was insane, Stakar's crew too. "Honestly, they were asking to get robbed. They kept their units in a pouch on their belt and never noticed I took them until I was gone. And they never noticed my face. Until they did, apparently..." I chuckle and finish my drink.

"Girl, yer insane!" Yondu laughs and I relax a bit, smiling.

"You have to be at least a little insane to be a Ravager, Captain. So..." I drift off, thinking of something, and a grin slowly spreads across my face as I look at Jay.

"What's that look for?"

"You never left the ship to go on missions. You stayed on and worked on stuff. Nova Corps doesn't have you in the system."

"Well, I mean, I guess not." He chuckles nervously and looks at me. "What's that got to do with anything?" 

"You get to help now."

"Wha' ya thinkin', girl?"

"Jay and I go to Xandar and... Meet for the first time. Without us in Ravager leathers. Damn, I'm gonna need clothes... Anyway, we meet for the first time and he rents a generic ship for the trade after we steal the thing. We don't get off of the ship and meet up with you guys at a spot on Xandar, give you the units, return the ship, and get the Hell off of the planet."

"And if they realize you were there when it got stolen?"

"Well... We'll burn that bridge when we get to it." I smirk and look at Yondu. "What do you say, Captain? You think we can pull it off?" He looks through the holopad and then looks at me and Jay, thinking.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sparkles, wha'cha think?" Martinex looks at the plans and then at me and Jay.

"Might be crazy enough it works. You're gonna need a fake."

"Already got that covered. It's in my room onboard, Captain. The tech team's been helping me with it." He nods a bit and looks at the plan again.

"A'right. Who's goin' with ya?" I roll my glass between my hands and think. "Yer in charge a'this one, girl." I nod a bit and think some more.

"Me and Jay. Rocket, Dad, and Kraglin, if he wants." I look at Kraglin and he was sitting up straighter. "I stole from the guards because of what I saw on parts of Xandar, Krags. They didn't deserve the units and I didn't keep all of them."

"Wow, you're a regular Robin Hood." Dad scoffs and I roll my eyes, looking at Kraglin.

"What do you say, Krags? You and Jay know the streets the best and Jay has to stay away from me until it's time to rent the ship. I need a right-hand man on this." He looks at me and thinks.

"A'right. Ah gotta see somethin' first." I nod a bit and he nods back.

"We'll need two ships. The _Milano_ and _Cawl_ would be perfect." I look at the two of them and they nod. "Good. Rocket, you're gonna stay with Dad and the ships. We're gonna land close enough that you'll be able to hack into it and shut the whole thing down long enough for me and Krags to get the thing and get out of there. How much time can you buy us?"

"I won't know 'till I see what I'm workin' with." I nod and swipe over to the target, showing it to Kraglin to make sure he knew what we were getting.

"This is crazy," Jay says and I smirk a bit.

"That's the point. We're only going to get one shot at this. So we've got to make it count." They nod and I look around a bit. "Let's go, then. The party ends tomorrow night on Xandar. We need to get there fast." I stand and make sure to pay the bartender for the bottles before going back to the _Eclector_ with Rocket, Fang, Taz, and Jay while Yondu, Kraglin, and Dad go to get their ships.

I go to my room and get the fake before going to see Segs. "Segs! You got what I need?" Segs comes over with some dark clothes for me and I smile. "Perfect. Thank you."

"Oh, and here's this." He hands me a band with magnets on the ends and I smirk a bit. "Very rarely does everything go off without a hitch."

"Thanks, Segs." I go to get changed and make sure I keep my knives on me along with the band, putting it around my wrist for now. I meet the others outside and we board the ships before Dad and Kraglin pilot to Xandar.

Once we're there, I contact Kraglin over the coms since he had Jay and was sitting in the co-pilot seat. "Krags, that parking lot by the healer's office."

_"Copy."_ I watch Kraglin land in the parking lot before Dad pilots to the spot near the hit where the ships would be hidden and Kraglin lands next to us after a while. I go over to the door and open it to let Kraglin on.

"Alright. We clear on the plan?"

"You and Krags go in through a vent to get the thing. Rocket turns everything off and you replace it with the fake before coming back."

"Good. And if we get caught, it'll be hidden in the vent by this." I take the band off of my wrist and take the fake one out, putting it against the wall. Once both magnets are connected to the metal wall, the fake goes invisible and they look at it, shocked. 

"How are we supposed to find it if it's invisible?"

"Rocket, if you go through the vent, it'll be on the wall of the vent that goes up. Pay attention to the walls and you'll find it. We all clear on the backup plan too?" They nod and I nod back, grabbing the fake and the band off of the wall. "Let's go, Krags." We get off of the ship and go towards the building, at the back of it.

I crouch in front of a vent opening and activate my mask, opening it. "You stay here and keep watch." He nods and I go through the vent, having a map pulled up so I know where to go.

"Alright, Rocket. Time to go," I say over my earpiece and everything goes out.

_"You have two minutes."_

"Got it." I quickly get out of the vent and attach a rope so I'd be able to get back up, moving to get the thing. I slip gloves on and raise the covering, swapping them out after deactivating my mask. I hold the real one between my teeth and put the fake one in its place. I go over to the rope and climb up it, bringing it into the vent. I close it right before the power comes back on and I hear people charge into the room as I crawl through the vent.

I get to the last vent going upwards and put the thing there with the band around it. I crawl through the vent and drag myself out of the opening, standing. "Alright, let's go." I look up to see Kraglin being held by Nova Corps officers, cuffed. "Oh, hey guys," I smirk and two people knock me onto the ground, pinning me there as they cuff me.

"What were you doing in the vents of a Nova Corps building?"

"This building belongs to Nova Corps? My bad. I thought it was your mother's." They lift me and slam me against the wall. "Oh, you're right. It isn't. It's your father's, right?" They push me harder into the wall and Kraglin was looking at me like I was insane. I wink at him and he tries to get me to shut up.

"You know, my mistake. It's gotta by your brother or sister's place. I've got it this time, don't I?" They spin me around and one of them punches me in the stomach, making me double over before they pull me back to be standing. I look at the guy who punched me and smirk. "That's right! It's your wife's place! She wanted some bow chicka wow wow from the Warrior of the Galaxy, buddy!" I wink at him as I wiggle my body a bit and he punches me in my jaw before dragging my head back to look at him by my chin.

"Anything else to say, Warrior?" I smile at him with my bloody teeth as he lets me go and spit on his shoes. "Take them to an interrogation room." The people holding me and Kraglin yank us towards the front of the building and take us through the building before undoing the cuffs, throwing us into the room. We stumble a bit but get out footing as the door closes and I wipe a hand across my mouth, looking around the room.

"Hey! Asshats! You ain't got nothing on us!" I holler and Kraglin sits in a seat, kicking his feet up on the table as he looks at me.

"Yer an idiot." I shrug and spit some blood onto the floor in the corner. I look at the window and lean against the table as I put a fist up toward the window, knowing it was a two-way mirror.

"Oh, look at this, I found a new invention." I pretend to crank something next to my fist and slowly raise my middle finger. "Oh, wow. I... I'm so sorry... I didn't know what would happen..." I try to put my finger down and won't. "Oh, that's too bad." I flip the window off with my other hand before sitting down and copy Kraglin, tilting my head back with my eyes closed.

A while later, the door opens and Kraglin yanks me to my feet as he stands. "Ma'am." He nods at her and I look at her.

"Mr. Obfonteri. Miss... What is your name now?"

"Miss fuck you," I smirk and Kraglin hits the back of my head. "What the Hell, man?" I hiss and he gives me a look to match Yondu's when he's pissed. "The name's Rogue Quill Obfonteri Udonta, Ma'am."

"Oh my... That is quite the mouthful... How about I call you..." She looks in a holopad in her hands then at me. "Miss Andrea Davis?" I tense and Kraglin notices.

"That isn't my name."

"Of course it is. Andrea Mae Davis, born on Terra when the solar star was on the opposite side of Terra. You were brought in a few years ago for suspicions of stealing from Nova Corps members," She reads from the holopad and I clench my hands in fists.

"I left that name behind on Terra."

"Much like your family. We had information that Skrulls had killed your family before you left. Your mother included."

"Don't you dare talk about my mother," I growl and she glances up at me to see me glaring at her with my hands in tight fists at my sides.

"My apologies, Miss Davis."

"That's not my name!" I slam my fist down on the table and she looks at me.

"Alright." She smiles at me and updates the holopad to have my correct name. "There. Now there will be no more confusion. Have a seat." She sits on the other side of the table and Kraglin sits down before pulling me down to sit too. 

"Now, I just have a few questions. What were you doing in the vents of this building?"

"I overheard someone planning to plant a bomb in the vents that would make the building and the Nova Corps vulnerable. Seeing as how you protect so many planets and people here on Xandar, we can't have that, now can we?"

"No, we can't." She smiles at me and looks at Kraglin then back at me. "So? Where is it?"

"I wasn't able to find it before it went off. Luckily, it seems that they underestimated the power it would take to knock the power out for an extended amount of time and it only lasted for a little while."

"Very lucky, indeed. And the rope?"

"To check vents going downwards. Safety is very important to me."

"I see. Did you not try to find it after it went off?"

"No, I didn't. No one would be crazy enough to go into the vents again after they failed that terribly." She nods and stands, starting to leave.

"Oh. I almost forgot." She shows us a holopad with a picture of the thing we stole and we look at it then at her. "Have either of you ever seen this knife before? Or have any clue how much it's worth?"

"No, Ma'am. It looks like an ordinary knife so I'd have to say no more than..." I look at Kraglin then back at her and shrug. "Twenty units?" She nods and leaves the room. "Are we free to go?" She nods and we stand, following her out before leaving the building. I notice Nova Corps members following us and curse quietly.

"Wha'?"

"Nova Corps members are following us." I notice Jay walking towards us and smile politely at him. "Plan C." I hiss to him as we walk by each other and he keeps walking.

"Wha's plan C?" I shrug and he just nods.

"We gotta make a distraction... A big one..." I notice a stage with a lot of people around it and smirk a bit. "That'll be a good one... All of Nova Corps would have to get us off the stage... It would buy some time..." Kraglin looks at me and then at the stage.

"Yer insane."

"Yup. Let's go." I lead him that way and climb onto the stage after stealing some drinks from some unknowing Xandarians. "Hey, fellas. Wanna give us some upbeat music?"

"For what?" I notice some guards coming over and smirk a bit.

"Some entertainment." I give them some units and they pocket them before starting to play some upbeat music. Kraglin looks at me and I shrug a bit. "Dance battle time, Krags."

"Yer insane." He dances, though, and I do too, vaguely noticing a generic ship fly off.

"I think we pulled it off." I hiss at him when I spin near him and he smirks. "Let's finish this up." He nods and we both finish dancing with a flair and final spin. The crowd cheers and I see Nova Corps guards coming on stage.

"And look! Part of the reason for this celebration!" I yell, pointing at them, and the crowd cheers louder. "Give it up for Nova Corps!" They cheer louder and I grab Kraglin's hand, running backstage to get off of the stage that way. Kraglin leads the way through some streets and I hear Nova Corps guards yelling at us to stop but we just run faster.

He pulls us into an abandoned house and we hide behind some crates as the guards run past us, holding our breath until the sound of their boots dies down. We pant and lean against the crates. I laugh a bit and he looks at me like I was crazy. "Wha'?"

"That was awesome." He scoffs and shoves me over. I smile and sit back up as my wrist com beeps. I tap it and a hologram of Dad pops up. "Ready?" He nods and I smirk. "Good." I end the transmission and look at Kraglin. "Let's go." We stand and carefully go to where the ships were, making sure we weren't being followed the whole way. We quickly board the _Cawl_ and I see Jay board the _Milano_ before Dad and Kraglin pilot back to the _Eclector_. 

We dock and Yondu was waiting for us. "How it go?"

"We pulled it off. Had to go to plan C, but we got the units." Dad opens the door to the _Milano_ and there were crates of units on board. "See?" I smile and Yondu smirks, nodding.

"Rogue thought it up and made the plans for the mission, Dad. She should get enough of a cut to get whatever she wants. There are enough units on here to buy a second _Eclector_ with all of the ships in it. So she can buy her own."

"Naw." I gape at Yondu and he smirks at me. "Can't have ya gettin' a ship 'fore Ah give ya one fer yer weddin' day." He winks at me and nods for Dad to lock the _Milano_ up. "C'mon." He walks to the control room and we follow him.

As soon as we get there, there's a transmission from an unknown frequency and Yondu answers it. "Nova Prime." He nods at her as he sits in his seat and dismisses the rest of the crew from the room. "Krags, shut tha' door." He goes to do that and we all look at the Nova Prime.

"Hey! You're the lady who asked us stuff!" She nods and Yondu looks at me. "She suspected us of causing the power to go out and showed us a picture of some knife."

_"That knife is a ritualistic knife for killing disobedient and runaway slaves. Of the Skrulls."_

"The Skrulls? You guys have a knife that belonged to the Skrulls?"

_"We had the knife, yes. We have had it for years. The Skrulls have tried to break in and steal it for just as long. They would have offered a hefty price for getting it back."_

"If you don't mind me asking... How much?" She scrolls through something and finds it.

_"Ah. According to this, they offered their first failed attempt two billion units. The last failed attempt was offered five hundred fifty-five billion. They probably would have offered nearly nine hundred billion for their next attempt."_ I nod a bit and go pale since that's how much we got from the buyer. I look at Kraglin and he was just as pale, hands in fists at his sides.

"What, um... What did it take for you guys to get it from them?" I croak and clear my throat a bit as she watches me.

_"Much more forces than what we currently have. It seems as though while you were in the vents looking for the device that would knock out power, the knife was swapped with a fake. Do you know anything about this?"_

"N-N-" I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a moment before opening them again, looking at her. "No, Ma'am."

_"You seem very nervous for someone who has no knowledge of this."_

"Well... The Skrulls have wanted me since I was on Terra... And the fact that you don't have a ritualistic slave killing knife makes me a little worried... Gods... I feel like I'm gonna be sick..." I mutter the last part to myself and run a hand through my hair. 

_"I can see how that would make one nervous. But, no need to worry. We are capturing a Skrull slaver just outside of the atmosphere of Xandar now who we believe to be the one who offered the units."_ I nod a bit and look at Jay a bit. _"We shall be ensuring that it is indeed a Skrull and not a Xandarian or other species. We urge you all to do the same."_ Yondu looks at us and I pull my knife out, slicing my hand to show my red blood. I give Dad my other knife and he slices his hand to show red blood before giving it to Rocket. He slices his hand and he doesn't bleed green. Kraglin and Yondu slice their hands, showing no green blood.

_"What about the boy in the back?"_ I turn and go over to Jay as I wipe clean my blade.

"Rogue, come on. You can trust me," He says as he backs up and I follow him.

"Give me your hand." He doesn't and pulls out the knife we stole, suddenly grabbing me before putting the blade to my throat.

_"Let her go, you piece of shit!"_ Jay yells through the transmission and I see him behind Nova Prime.

"No. We have been trying to capture this girl for years. And have been trying to recapture that slave for longer." He points the blade at Kraglin and Rocket launches himself at his arm, biting down hard. "You filthy rat!" He yells and drops the knife. I roll away from them and grab the blade, holding it tightly in my hand. He throws Rocket away and glares at me. "Give me the blade." He growls and I shake my head, not quite able to speak right now. "Girl, give it to me." He snarls and I glance at Yondu slightly.

He launches himself at me and wrenches the blade from my hand, stabbing me in the stomach. I gasp and he pulls it out. I grab his hand and twist it around to make him stab himself too. He lets go of the blade and I wrench it out of his body, stabbing him numerous times. I stab him in the chest too and he falls to the floor as I press a hand to my stomach. "Dad..." I croak and he runs over to catch me as I fall over after I try to walk.

"I've got you..." He sweeps me into his arms and I groan softly. "Shh... It's OK..." He quickly runs to med and lays me on a bed. "DOC!" Doc comes around the corner and sees me, quickly coming over to fix me up.

While Doc's doing their thing, Yondu, Kraglin, Rocket, and Jay come in and I tense, staring at Jay. He cuts his hand and shows me the blue blood before they all come over to me.

"I... I'm s-sorry..." I gasp as Doc does their thing and wince in pain. "I did... I didn't know... That they... They were a Skrull... Or... That the knife... Was for killing slaves... I... I wouldn't have... Br-brought it to you... If I-I knew..." I squeeze my eyes shut and breathe through my teeth.

"Doc, why haven't you given her any pain meds?!" Jay growls and I shake my head.

"She said she didn't want them..." Dad looks at Jay and holds my arm down. "That... That she didn't deserve them..."

"Give her them damned meds!" Yondu growls and I grab Doc's hand as they try to reach for them, opening my eyes to glare at them.

"Don't... Just... Just finish!" I growl through gritted teeth and Yondu grabs the arm, pinning it down.

"Yer gettin' the damned meds!" He yells and I look at him.

"Gramps... Please... Just let Doc finish without them..." He closes his eyes and just nods. "Keep going..." Doc grimaces and continues. I breathe rapidly through my teeth and try to jerk my legs slightly despite the restraints on them with my eyes squeezed shut again. They all watch Doc work on me and the way I'm reacting to the pain.

Doc starts to sew up an organ that the blade hit and I scream in pain. "Rogue, let them give you the damned meds!" Jay begs and I shake my head.

"NO!" I pant through my grit teeth and grip onto the sheet, tear tracks down my face. I scream at each stitch to the organ and Doc finally starts to stitch me up. "Pl-Play s-s-some fucking m-mu-music..." I growl and Kraglin quickly puts Dad's tape in the thing on the wall before it plays around us.

"That's distracting..." Doc mutters and I growl loudly at them. "I can work through it."

"Good..." I breathe shakily through grit teeth and blindly grab someone's hand, squeezing tightly. They squeeze my hand back and I pant a bit.

"Done!" Doc finishes stitching me up and puts some gauze and wrap on them. "You're confined to bed rest." They tell me and I just nod, trying to calm my breathing. "Can I give you some pain meds now?"

"No..." They nod and walk away. I breathe shakily, eyes still closed, and feel someone take the restraints off of my legs.

"Why didn't you let Doc give you meds?" Stakar asks and I open my eyes to look at him, sweat covering my body.

"I worked with a fucking Skrull to give them back a knife for killing slaves... I didn't deserve the meds..." I grit out, trying to be respectful, and I notice Martinex near the door. "This wouldn't have happened if I had looked past the reward and looked into the knife more..."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I doubt Nova Corps puts that type of stuff out in the open for anyone to see," Jay says gently and I glare at him.

"Get out..."

"What? Why?"

"Get. Out." I growl loudly and he takes one look at my face before leaving. "All of you. Get out." I look at them and everyone but Yondu and Kraglin leaves. "You two were included in that."

"Watch yer mouth, girl. Or Ah'll whip ya twice over when yer outta tha' bed." Yondu growls and I clench my jaw, putting my arm over my eyes.

"Please... Just... Just leave..." I say softly and I hear nothing for a moment then footsteps walking away before the door closes. I let out a shaky breath and lay my arm back down. I turn my head to the side and notice the cart Doc used for their medical equipment. I sweep my arm at it and knock it to the floor with a clatter. "Damnit all to Hell..." I growl at myself and take a shaky breath.

"Congratulations, you nearly got yourself and Kraglin killed for about ten billion units... Five billion units for each of you... You deserve whatever Yondu's gonna do to you..." I scoff, tears in my eyes, and dig my palms into my eyes.

"Lucky fer ya, girl, Ah ain't gonna do nothin' ta ya yet. Yer bein' hard on yerself all on yer own." I flinch and growl in pain at Yondu's voice and look over at the door to see Yondu and Kraglin there.

"I thought I asked you to get out."

"An' Ah though' this was m'ship." Yondu smirks at me and comes to stand next to the bed with Kraglin beside him. I don't look at either of them and rub my face.

"Whatever this is, I don't deserve it... Please, just leave... Please..." I glance at them and they shake their heads. "Then I will..." I start to get up but they both push me back down and I was sitting up slightly this time.

"Ya ain't gittin' outta bed." I look at him and he gently squeezes my shoulder. "Girl, ya didn' know... Ya know how much time we'd waste checkin' ev'ry buyer fer green blood?"

"Too much... But, Yondu... They coulda killed Krags..."

"Lucky fer ya, they didn'," Kraglin says and I can't bring myself to look at him.

"But, they could have."

"Stop tha'," Kraglin growls and I look at him, shocked because he wasn't usually the tough one. "Yer wastin' yer breath with tha'. So stop." I nod a bit and he gently squeezes my shoulder as I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying not to cry.

"I'm sorry, Krags..." I whisper and he sits next to me, carefully wrapping an arm around me. "I... I'm so s-sorry..." I whisper and can't stop the tears this time. "Damnit..." I quickly wipe them away only for more to come and I sob a bit.

"Yer fine, girl. Door's locked." Yondu sits in a chair and I sob while Kraglin holds me.

I calm down after a little while and wipe at my face, grimacing slightly at the dried tears. "'Ere." Kraglin hands me a wet rag and I use it to clean my face before looking at Kraglin.

"I really am sorry, Krags..."

"Ya say sorry one more time, Cap'n's gonna hafta wait in line ta whip ya." My eyes go wide at that and he looks at me while Yondu chuckles at my face.

"He can whip ya, girl."

"OK... Um... Can I ask you a question instead, then?" They nod and I look at the door before back at them. "Where did you guys pick Jay up? He said he snuck on board, but no one's pissed at him for dumping anything to hide, so that's not true. Is it?" Yondu shakes his head and I look at him. "Did you save him from something?" He nods and I run a hand through my hair. "Kree or Skrulls?"

"Kree... Stakar helped us liberate some more 'a the slaves under 'em an' he was one 'a 'em. Wha' made ya doubt 'im?"

"The scars he has... And if he snuck aboard on Xandar to get away from his life there, why would he want to get married there?" They nod a bit and I rub my face slightly before contacting him to come back to med.

When he comes back, he looks at me and narrows his eyes at Kraglin a bit. "Jay." He looks at me again and comes over. "Why'd you lie to me about how you joined?"

"I was a kid... How'd you know?"

"Your scars." He nods a bit and rubs his face. Kraglin moves and pushes him to sit where he was.

"What's up with you and the Skrulls?" I scoff a bit and look at Kraglin before looking back at Jay.

"Skrulls killed my family on Terra while I was at school... And... And my Mom too... According to Nova Prime..."

"Yeah, 'cordin' ta her, yer name's Andrea," Kraglin smirks and I glare at him.

"No, it isn't, Kraglin," I growl and he looks at me, shocked. "That's what my grandparents called me... My sister used to call me, um... She used to call me R... But, my grandparents decided the name my Mom chose wasn't good enough and changed it... Then I changed it... And no one is to ever know that name or call me it. Again." He nods a bit and I nod back.

"Why'd they kill your family?" Jay asks and I sigh softly.

"To kidnap me and make me a slave."

"Oh. Well... We're perfect for each other, then. We each have one of the two largest slaver groups after us." He smirks at me and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, we're a regular bunch of fugitives."

"Bunch?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug a bit. He glances at Yondu and Kraglin for a moment before looking back at me. "How do you know things that I don't about the same two people?"

"It's a gift?" I try and he scoffs. "Sorry, Captain, Krags." They shrug and I run a hand through my hair.

"Most 'a the ship knew a'ready." I nod a bit and grab my hair.

"Krags, you mind cutting this for me?" He looks at it and goes to get something from his room.

When he comes back, he grabs my hair and cuts it for me. "Thanks." He nods and pulls the knife out to show it to me.

"What are you guys going to do with it?" Jay asks and I look at the blade.

"Show the damned Skrulls that they aren't ever getting it back."

"How?"

"With a hidden frequency. And force them to watch as we melt that damned thing down to nothing." I growl and Kraglin raises an eyebrow at me. "I'm the one that got stabbed, I get a vote." He shrugs one shoulder and we all look at Yondu.

"Wha'?"

"You're the Captain. You get to decide what we do with it. Melt it down in front of the bastards or give it back to the Nova Corps?"

"Both." He smirks and I nod. Rocket comes in with a screen and sets it on a cart at the foot of the bed. "Ya ready?" He looks at me and Kraglin and we look at each other before nodding at Yondu. "Set it up, Rat." Rocket clicks a few things and I feel Jay wrap a blanket around my shoulders to cover my body before he helps me sit up more.

_"Slaves contacting their masters? This is a new one."_ Kraglin tenses and I reach over to squeeze his arm gently.

"We have something you might want. Recognize that knife?" Kraglin shows them the knife and they narrow their eyes at it then at us.

_"Where did you get that from?"_

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I'd be more worried about what's about to happen to it." Rocket had set up a cart over the bed with something to put the knife in so it could be melted down and Kraglin sets it in it.

_"What is that for?"_ I hand Kraglin the remote and he looks at me. I nod slightly and he smirks, clicking the button to turn the thing on. The knife starts to melt and the Skrull had a clear view of it. _"Stop that this instant! I command you!"_ He keeps it on and it melts fully. We look at the Skrull on the screen and simultaneously flip them off before Rocket ends the transmission.

"Tha' felt good," Kraglin smirks and I smile at him.

"I bet."


	4. Chapter 4

The Doc finally lets me leave med when they're sure I'm healed and I get dressed in my Ravager leathers, playing my music. As I leave, one of my favorite songs plays, and I smile brightly, spinning a bit. I dance and hum my way through the ship until I get to the hangar and shove my headphones off, after spinning in there, to nod slightly at Nova Prime who was talking to Yondu and Stakar. "Ma'am." I smile nervously and Yondu smirks at me.

"Miss Udonta." She nods at me and Kraglin is pushing me further into the hangar instead of standing in the doorway.

"I really don't want to go over there, Krags." I hiss at him and he just smirks.

"Ya ain't gettin' arrested." I sigh softly in relief at that and walk next to him.

"Thank Gods..."

"Mebbe." He smirks at me and I stop. He chuckles and drags me along with him. "Nova Prime, Ma'am." He nods to her slightly and she nods back.

"Mr. Obfonteri." She looks at me and I chuckle nervously. "Is that your music?" I fumble for my Walkman for a second before pausing it and chuckle nervously.

"Sorry, but, uh... I've gotta get to work... I've been in the med for a while..." I start to walk towards another ship and get choked when Kraglin grabs the back of my shirt and jacket, pulling me back to where I was. "Never mind... Is there anything I can help you with?" I ask awkwardly and Yondu was snickering.

"Not at all. Unless you'd like to help with my ship."

"What do you need done?"

"It needs a wash. Badly."

"OK, anything mechanical?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no. I would never ask you or another Ravager or another woman to fix my ship. There are a few things wrong but that can wait until I'm back on Xandar." I stand straighter at that and activate my visor, looking at her ship through it. "You don't need t-"

"If you leave now, you'd barely manage to get out of reach of our tractor beam before your engine dies and your coolant tank will blow if you go through a jump." I interrupt her and look at her. "But, I'm sure you can find a way to manage without a woman Ravager helping you, Ma'am." I smile coldly at her and deactivate my visor. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do than whatever the fuck this was. Have a nice trip." I spin on my heel and go to work on some ships.

"Well, that was... Blunt."

"She doesn't take well to people insinuating she'll tamper with ships or that she isn't a good mechanic because she's a she!" Fang calls from the top of a ship and I activate my blaster boots to see what he was doing. "Gods!" He yells in shock and nearly falls off of the ship but I grab him by the ankle before he falls fully before landing back on the floor with him. "What the Hell, Rogue?!" He rubs his head where it hit the floor and glares at me.

"What were you doing?"

"Cleaning the ship!" I look at the ship and notice it was a Nova Corps one. "Can I get back to it now?" He growls and I grab him by the collar, taking him back to the top of the ship.

"Have at it, bud." I land back on the floor and Nova Prime was looking at me. "Yes?"

"Would you mind taking a look at my ship?"

"I thought you didn't want a woman Ravager to fix it?"

"Yes, well... Perhaps just you." She motions to the ship and I activate my visor again, looking at it. "What's wrong with it?" 

"Well, firstly, you have a shitty engine." Someone slaps the back of my head and I look at Yondu. "She asked, I answered. And she does." I rub the back of my head slightly and look at the ship again, focusing on the coolant tank as I walk towards it. "You need a whole new engine and I can patch up the coolant tank as a temporary fix. Once you get back to your side of Xandar, it'll need to be replaced too."

"My side of Xandar?" She looks at me and I look at her.

"Yeah. Your side of Xandar. The one where kids aren't freezing in houses without doors or windows or starving to death. Your side of Xandar." She looks taken aback at that and Yondu glares at me when I glance over at him. I take a deep breath and look at her. "Sorry. That was uncalled for and unnecessary."

"You just relate to that side of Xandar because it reminds you of your life on Terra?" I clench my fist behind my back and just smile.

"Yes, it does."

"From our database, your grandparents were well off. You would have had no reason for relating to that side. Unless you're lying about your past." And that does it.

"Alright, listen up you stuck-up, arrogant, pompous, bitch. I don't give a damn what your database says about me or my life on Terra or my damned family. You have no right to strut in here and insinuate that I will tamper with your ship because I'm a Ravager or that I can't be a good mechanic because I'm a woman or to blatantly accuse me of lying about my past! I don't give a damn who you are! But guess what? You're now the bitch who has to figure out how to get back to your nice part of your fucking planet on your own because you think you can come in here and say whatever the fuck you want to say to me! Have fun!" I yell and walk right past her then out of the hangar.

Yondu whistles and his arrow is zooming right in front of my face, making me freeze in the doorway of the hangar. He whistles and I walk backward while it stays close to my face until I'm back under the ship with Nova Prime in front of me, eyebrows raised. "Girl, say yer sorry an' show some respect." He growls and I clench my jaw, looking at her.

"I apologize for my outburst," I say through grit teeth and she just nods. Yondu whistles and his arrow goes back into his holster.

"Fix tha' ship, girl."

"Aye, Captain." I grab the cart that has the tools I need and get to work after taking my jacket off, wanting her out of there fast.

"What happened with your grandparents that made you relate to the poorer side of Xandar?" I grip the tool tighter and take a deep breath before answering.

"They spent more money on alcohol than they did on bills and food for me."

"And your sister?" I freeze and the entire hangar is silent.

"My sister was more of their priority than I was." I grit out and continue working on her ship.

"And how did your mother die?"

"I was three, but she died in a car accident."

"And you were in it too, correct?"

"Yes."

"Is that why your grandparents didn't think of you as a priority? Because you lived instead of their daughter?" I slam the tool down on the cart and spin to look at her.

"Your ship is temporarily fixed. You'll need a new coolant tank and engine once you're back to Xandar."

"And about my question?" I hold my head in my hand for a moment before looking at her and glare.

"Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious about how you relate to the poorer side of Xandar so much that you said such things to me as earlier." She smiles at me and I scoff, shaking my head a bit.

"Yes, that's why I wasn't a priority to my grandparents. Because I lived while their daughter, my mother, died in a car accident. Which, according to you, was caused by Skrulls. Any other personal questions I can answer?"

"When was the last time you visited your mother's grave? If you love her as much as you seem to act as you do, then it must have been recently, yes?"

"No..."

"Oh? Then when?"

"The morning before I left Terra nearly twelve or so years ago."

"Why haven't you gone back?" I go over to her and stop three paces away from her.

"Because I'm not welcome there. I'm not welcome at the graveyard my mother is buried in. I'm not welcome in my hometown. I'm not welcome in any store in my hometown. I'm not welcome on Terra! I'm known as the bad luck child that killed her mother when she was three and the rest of her family when she was ten!" I growl as I walk closer to her with each sentence and she takes a step back for each one I take forward. "Now get on your ship and get the Hell out of my hangar!" I snarl and she does just that. Someone puts a hand on my shoulder and I jerk out from under it, grabbing my jacket from a nearby cart. "I'll be in the mess if anyone needs me for an emergency ship tune-up." I stride out of the hangar as I put my jacket on and go towards the mess.

I grab a tray and some food before stalking over to the table and slamming my tray on the table across from Dad and Gamora. "Whoa! Who pissed in your Wheaties?" He chuckles and I growl loudly at him as I eat. "Everything OK?" I just eat and they look at each other before looking back at me to watch as I eat angrily.

"Rogue." I look up to see Taz standing by the table and glare at him.

"What?" I growl and he clears his throat nervously.

"Um, Captain needs you for an emergency tune-up. Now."

"Give me two minutes and I'll be there." He nods and leaves the mess. I see Dad and Gamora watching me and I quickly finish my food. "I'm fine." I take my tray to the cart and make my way back to the hangar.

"If she ain't comin' through tha' door in ten seconds, m'arrow's findin' her." 

"I'm here, Captain. What do you need?" I go over to him and he looks at me.

"A... Wha'cha call it?"

"Emergency tune-up, Captain."

"Yeah. One 'a those."

"On?"

"Yer attitude. Ya had no right ta talk ta Nova Prime like tha', girl." I clench my jaw and clench my hands at my sides. "Ya git it, girl?"

"Got it, Captain." I grit out and he narrows his eyes at me as he comes closer.

"Ya watch yer tongue in front 'a the crew, girl." He hisses at me and I glance around the hangar to see all of the mechanics watching us. I step away from Yondu slightly and he raises his eyebrows at me.

"Anyone in or near this hangar that is not a Captain or First Mate by the time I'm done counting down is cleaning this entire place and ship from top to bottom! Ten! Nine! Eight!" All of the mechanics rush out of the hangar and it's empty besides me, Stakar, Kraglin, and Martinex by the time I'm at four. I slam my hand down on the button to shut the door and lock it so that only one of us in the hangar can open it before looking at Yondu again, stepping away from the door.

"I didn't have the right to talk to that stuck-up bitch that way? How the Hell else was I supposed to react? Do you have any damned clue how much willpower it took to not hit her? Or how deep the words cut? Do you think I haven't stepped foot on Terra for nearly eleven years because I didn't want to?!" I growl at Yondu and he had his eyes narrowed at me.

"Did you know that I can't even remember what the Hell my sister's face looks like? Or that the picture of Dad with my Mom got lost on Contraxia when the Skrulls tried to take me? Or that the only reason I remember my sister's name is because of that day? Because of the damned nightmares I still have of that day? Or the nightmares I still have of my sister burning alive in a fire you repeatedly pulled me from? No, you don't! Because you're too damned worried about what Nova Corps fucking thinks about us! They don't even fucking do their jobs well! So, for all I fucking care, they can fly their sorry asses right into a damned supernova solar star! So long as they stay the Hell away from us when they do it!" I yell and fling my arms out for a moment.

"Ya done?" My chest heaves slightly and he hands me a rag. "Yer face." He motions at his eyes and I wipe my face with it, having not noticed I was crying. "Ya done, girl?" I nod slightly and he looks at me.

"Yes, Captain, I'm done."

"I ain't sayin' yer yellin' at her wasn't..."

"Justified?"

"Yeah, tha'. Ah gave ya orders ta show her respect. An' ya disobeyed 'em by yellin' at her like tha'." I rub my hand down my face and huff out a breath.

"I'm sorry, Captain."

"Why are you always calling him Captain?" Martinex asks and I shrug slightly.

"Habit and the crew can't bitch and moan about me not calling him it when I call him it all the time. Also, he seems slightly pissed off and Captain is a better way to keep me from getting knocked out compared to Gramps, most of the time." He nods a bit and I look at Yondu to see him standing with his arms crossed. "Let me guess... Your quarters?" He nods and I nod back. "I'll meet you there, Captain." I open the door to the hangar and all of the mechanics tumble in.

"All of you get the Hell off of my hangar floor and get to cleaning it!" I bark and they grumble but do get to work on cleaning the hangar. I leave the hangar and head to Yondu's quarters through the control room.

"Hey, Rogue." Jay smiles at me and I smile back. "What are you going to Captain's quarters for?"

"I need to be briefed on the next mission we're going on." He nods and pecks my cheek before leaving to go do something else. I go into Yondu's quarters and take my jacket off, laying it over the back of the couch followed by my knife and blaster holsters before I sit on the couch. I rest my head against the back of it and close my eyes, trying hard to picture Kat's face with no luck.

I stand up when Yondu comes in and he looks at me as he shuts the door, making sure only Kraglin would be able to get in. "Ya know wha' ta do, girl. C'mon." I nod a little bit and go over to his desk. "Pants down, girl. C'mon. We ain't gittin' all day ta do this." I push my pants down to my knees and bend over the desk. He comes over and I can hear him take his belt out of his pants. "Breathe, girl." He presses a hand onto my back gently and I breathe slowly. "Good." He lands the belt down and I hiss. He lets me breathe between each lick and I'm grateful for it.

He stops after a few minutes and I wait. "A'right, girl. Hard part now. Ya ready?" I hold onto the desk and nod. He lands them down quickly and close to each other.

After a minute of that, he stops and loops his belt back into his pants before helping me stand, keeping me steady when I carefully pull my pants back up. I hiss sharply and he squeezes my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Gramps... I didn't mean to disobey orders like that... The crap she said just made me snap... I'm sorry..." He squeezes my shoulder again and I look at him a bit, face covered in tears again and my eyes red. 

"Yer good, girl. C'mon." He gently pulls me over to the couch and has me lay down with my head on his leg. "Ya-"

"I know, I know... I better not tell anybody about this or you'll tell everybody about the whupping you gave me... I've never told anybody and I never will, Gramps..."

"Good." He gently pets my hair and I relax, calming down. "Ya sleep a bit."

"Mmkay..." I murmur and slowly fall asleep. He carefully moves to lay my head on a pillow and takes a secret picture, one of many he's taken to give to Dad and Kraglin after he's gone. He works on stuff while keeping an eye on me and I sleep for a while.

The door slides open and he turns to see Kraglin walk in. "Cap'n." He nods and comes over to me, looking me over.

"Ah didn' kill her, Krags." Yondu rolls his eyes and Kraglin shrugs a bit. Both of them look at me when I whine softly in the back of my throat and subconsciously reach for my thigh to grab my knife.

"Trained her good." They chuckle and Yondu looks at Kraglin.

"We headin' ta Terra?" He nods and they look at me. "She's gonna kill me..." He sighs and Kraglin pats his shoulder.

I wake to someone shaking my shoulder and shoot my hand out to grab their throat. They catch my hand and I open my eyes to see it's Kraglin. "Damnit, Krags..." I sit up and rub my face to hide the wince. "Whatcha want?"

"We landed planetside an' Cap'n wants ya off 'a the ship." I nod and stand, blinking a couple of times to wake up fully. He hands me my jacket and I slip my arms into it.

"Thanks." He nods as I put my holsters back on and claps a hand on my shoulder as he leads the way out of Yondu's quarters. "What planet are we on?"

"Close yer eyes." I do and he guides me off of the ship. "Keep 'em closed." I chuckle slightly nervously and he squeezes my shoulder. I hear a door open and we go through it. "Open 'em." I open my eyes and squint for a moment, looking around the room before going over to some pictures on the walls. I grab one off of it and see three smiling people, a woman, and two girls.

"Kraglin... Where are we?" I look at him, gripping the picture in one hand, and he smiles and chuckles nervously while Yondu and Dad come in from outside.

"Hey, Rogue! You excited to be back on Terra?" Dad smiles at me and I freeze, vaguely noticing other crew members around us watching me. I look down at the picture in my hand and then around the room after a moment. "You OK, Rogue?"

"Where are we?"

"According to Yondu, it's a cabin your grandparents had let your mom use as her house. Whatcha got?" He comes over to look at the picture and smiles. "If I'm right, that's your Mom, sister, and you." He looks up at me and his smile leaves his face when he sees I was pissed. "What's wrong?"

I suddenly spin and throw the picture against another one, both of them falling to the floor and breaking. "Whoa! Calm down, girl!" One of the crew hollers and I spin to glare at him. "Never mind..." He takes a step backward and I notice steps behind him, going toward them then up them. I move through the upstairs as if I know it and go into a room made for a toddler, looking around.

"I'd hafta guess this was yer room." I spin and see Yondu looking at me from the top of the stairs before he comes over, looking into the room too. "Hell's tha'?" He points to the walls and I look at them.

"It... It's pink..." I scoff and go inside the room, crouching down to pick up a small toy in the middle of the room.

"An' tha'?" I shrug and carefully rub my thumb against it.

"Terrans give their kids soft stuff to calm them down when they're upset... I'm guessing this was mine... Before the accident..." I stand and look at it before tossing it to him. He catches it and looks at it then at me. "There's another trinket for you." He chuckles and I look around the room, carefully running my fingers over a few things.

"Whoa! That is a lot of pink for one room!" Dad laughs as he comes to stand next to Yondu and I nod my agreement. "Was this your room?" I nod and he looks around as I look at him, smirking a bit.

"So, which room do you and Mom do the dirty in, Dad?" He blushes and stumbles over his words for a moment before just shutting up. Yondu roars with laughter and I smile, going over to wrap my arms around their necks, leading them away from the room.

"This is going better than we thought it would." Dad chuckles softly and I smirk at him. "What's that for?" He asks nervously and I let go of Yondu to dig my knuckles into his head. "Come on!" He shoves me away and I smirk at him. "Oh, you're in for it now!" He lunges for me and I move to the side, grabbing the collar of his jacket to keep him from going flying down the stairs. I slide down the banister and stumble for a second when I reach the bottom and smirk at Dad after regaining my footing. He laughs and comes down the stairs to meet me.

Someone whistles and we turn to see Kraglin in the doorway with Jay, bags of food in each of their arms. "We got some food and candy?" Jay looks at me quizzically and I shrug a bit. "People kept saying 'happy Halloween', that's the one with the candy, right?" I smirk and nod, going over to grab the candy from them.

"You chose the best time to come here. Dad, find a way to see the date and time." He looks at me with a raised eyebrow and I look at him. "Or else you don't get candy." He rolls his eyes and turns the TV on. "Huh, didn't expect that to still be working..." We listen while someone on the news channel explains stuff for Trick or Treating for kids tonight.

"Hell yeah!" I smirk and they were all looking at me weird. "Dudes, we can go out in public and drink because it's Halloween. No one is going to question how you look because it's a night of being whatever the Hell you want!" It dawns on them and they cheer. "We've got to wait until a bit after dark because of all of the kids running around." I look out a window and notice the sun was fairly close to setting. "But, we won't have to wait long," I smirk and run a hand through my hair, thinking.

"What if somebody recognizes you? There were posters of you up at the store and it looked all weird."

"They probably used some type of technology to try to match how I'd look now. How close was it?" Kraglin pulls one out of his pocket and shows me, making me gape at it. "Not bad, I guess... That's a pretty easy fix." I go over to a closet and throw everything out of it.

"What are you looking for?"

"Makeup. My Mom was bound to have some around here somewhere high up so me and Kat couldn't get it." I throw something and hear somebody grunt softly. "My bad." I empty the closet and grab the shelf to pull myself up to look up there. "Well, not here..." I drop down to the floor and just shove everything into it on the floor, shoving the door shut before I notice Dad was looking at me unamused. "Shut up." I go back upstairs and look through some other closets and rooms.

"HA! Found some!" I yell from my Mom's room and go back downstairs since there was a huge mirror there. I motion Jay over and set the big bag full of makeup in his arms.

"Did you get enough?" Dad scoffs and I dig through the bag.

"This was what she had..." I take out a bunch of different types and look at them quizzically.

"You do know what you're doing, right?" 

"Of course I do!" I scoff and he raises an eyebrow at me. "Kinda... A little... Sliver bit of a clue..." He rolls his eyes and I glare at him. "That's what tutorials are for so fuck you."

"A what?"

"A video that shows me what to do. I think Kat used to watch them... I dunno... Shut up." I pull my hair back into a ponytail and narrow my eyes at the makeup as I think.

_"Hello, I... I just want to... To make sure people know... My little sister is still missing..._ _"_ I freeze and turn to look at the TV, seeing Kat on it holding an old picture of me and a copy of the picture Kraglin had. I walk closer and narrow my eyes at the TV. _"Please... I know that not everyone liked her... But I just want to know that she's OK... Or to have a body to bury if she's dead..._ _"_ I watch as she cuts her hand on something and green blood pours from the cut.

_"Why is your blood green?"_

 _"A little Halloween trick! It was her favorite holiday!"_ The Skrull assures and I snatch the remote off of the table, turning the TV off. I spin on my heel and go back towards the mirror.

"We should leave if the Skrulls are here and are still trying to get you!" Dad hisses and I glare at him.

"I am not leaving. Not until I get a drink with my crew." I growl and think, pacing slightly. "A costume..." I smirk and take my hair down before activating my mask. "Now, no one can see my face." I deactivate it and look at Kraglin. "We'll need to stick close to each other..." He nods his agreement and I look at the Ravagers that had come. "Captain, Jay, and Dad should stick close too..."

"I ain't lettin' the two 'a ya outta m'sight." Yondu growls and I nod.

"Good. I've gotta see something before we head out for drinks. Dad, Jay, come on." I head out of the cabin and all of them follow me. I hike through some trees with them staying close and go through a gate after a little while, looking around the whole time.

"Where are we?" I ignore Dad for the time being and walk through the little yard littered with gravestones, stopping in front of one of the ones set in the ground. "Why are we in a graveyard, Rogue?" I kneel and brush leaves off of it, swallowing a bit.

"Hey, Mom..." I murmur and they're silent around me. "Sorry I haven't been to visit in so long... It's, um... It's been a crazy few years for me..." I chuckle softly and take a slow breath. "I, uh... I met Dad... He's a fu- freaking nutcase just like Kat always used to say..." I rest my hands on my thighs and look at her gravestone to try to see her name but it was too faded and rusted to make out, sighing a bit.

"I, um... I brought some people with me... Dad's here, my Gramps Yondu, my sorta uncle Kraglin, and, uh... And the guy I, um... The guy I'm gonna marry, Jay... I'm sorry you didn't get to meet each other in person... You would've loved him..." Someone gently lays a hand on my shoulder and I look up to see Jay smiling at me a bit. I smile back and pat the ground next to me before he kneels next to me.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Rogue's Mom." I chuckle softly and he smiles at me. "Your daughter's an amazing woman that I love with all of my being and I'm lucky to have her in my life. So... Thank you for bringing her to life..." He reaches over and gently squeezes my hand. I squeeze his back and he stands after letting it go before I stand too, looking around.

"Tha's nice lookin'." Kraglin points at a red bird in a tree and I smile a bit.

"It's a Cardinal... Terrans say that when they're nearby, it's a loved one visiting you..."

"Tha's nice." Yondu smiles a bit and I nod my agreement, noticing Dad kneel to talk softly to Mom.

"Hey... I know I'm probably one of the last people you'd want Rogue with, but I'm trying my best to be a good Dad and keep her safe... She makes it difficult sometimes..." I hit the back of his head and he chuckles. "But she's been raised to be a good person..."

"Other than the lying, cheating, and stealing..." I mutter with a smirk and Jay elbows me in the side.

"You'd be damned proud if you could see her. She's a great pilot, shot, and can hold her own in a fight." Rocket says from behind us suddenly and I jump, spinning to see him, Groot, and Gamora standing behind us.

"Language!" I hiss at him and he just smirks, going over to stand next to Dad.

"You got a good kid and she's one of the few people I'd want by my side in a fight because she always has everybody's back more often than her own."

"I am Groot!"

"And Groot says that she's also very kind and loving to everyone around her." Gamora places a hand on my shoulder before going over to kneel next to Dad and look at the gravestone.

"She has been very kind to me and is very happy where she is right now." The two of them stand before they all move away from the gravestone and the Cardinal flies from the tree onto the gravestone. I very slowly kneel back down in front of it and the Cardinal watches me, tilting its head from side to side.

"I may not remember your name or your voice, but I still l-" I can't get the word out and swallow a bit, bowing my head slightly. "I miss you..." I whisper instead and breathe out slowly, looking up in time to see the Cardinal fly off. I stand and brush my pants off a bit before looking into the sky for a moment.

"Ya a'right, girl?" Yondu asks and I look at him.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm alright..." I nod and he nods back before I clap my hands slightly. "Alright, time for drinks!" The sun had set some more on our way to the graveyard and I look at Kraglin before activating my mask. He gets the hint and activates his mask too before we all walk out of the graveyard. I set Groot on my shoulder and he smiles, holding onto the mask. 


	5. Chapter 5

We meet the rest of the crew at a bar, after I pickpocket a couple of poor saps, and I move Groot to my hands, holding him close. "I am Groot?" I look at Rocket and he looks between us.

"He asked why you're nervous?"

"I haven't been around other Terrans besides Dad or in this town for years... Being nervous seems fair..." Kraglin pats my shoulder and I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Let's do this." I continue walking towards the bar as I put Groot back on my shoulder and go in with them. The bar goes silent and everyone looks at us.

"Nice costumes, freaks!" Somebody yells and I go over to the bar. "Hey! Where'd you get that mask? Freaks R Us?" I buy a few bottles and take them outside, the rest of the crew following as I pass the bottles to Dad.

"I'm talking to you, girl!" Someone grabs my arm and spins me around to face them. "Where'd you get that twig on your shoulder? What the Hell are you supposed to be?"

"I'm a space pirate, asshat."

"So the twig's your parrot?" He scoffs and grabs Groot but freezes when I have my knife to his throat and the rest of the crew has their blasters pointed at him.

"He's our mascot. And we don't take kindly to people touching what's ours. So get your fucking hand off of him and me or you're gonna lose it." I growl and he lets us go before quickly stumbling away. The bar was silent and I put the knife up. "Loosen up, fellas! They're just toys!" I smirk behind the mask while the bar laughs at the guy and I head outside with the rest of the crew.

"Um, what's up with the car with the flashing lights?" I look out the door and see a cop car pulling up, lights flashing.

"Shit... That's the Terran equivalent of Nova Corps... Go sit down, Dad, and I'll handle this." Dad nods and the crew goes to sit while Yondu and Kraglin stay close to us as a couple of cops come over to us. "Officers, how can I help you?" 

"Take the mask off, Ma'am."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. It's very intricate." They nod and look at Dad, Yondu, and Kraglin.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"We're space pirates, Officer. This is our Captain." I clap a hand on Yondu's shoulder and he grins at the cops.

"Nice makeup."

"He's mute," I say quickly and Yondu narrows his eyes at me before just nodding.

"What about you, Sir?" They look at Kraglin and I step over a bit.

"He is too. Everyone is. Other than me and this idiot." I nod towards Dad and he extends a hand to the cops.

"Officers." They shake his hand and I just nod a bit at them. "What brings you here?"

"We got a call about you threatening someone with a knife." They look at me and I smile, shaking my head.

"No worries, Officers. It was just a toy." They were looking at Groot on my shoulder and I gently grab him to put him in my hand. "We just don't take kindly to people trying to snatch our mascot or grabbing my arm. We're a pretty protective bunch."

"What is that, anyway?"

"A dancing robot." I look at Groot and he starts to dance in my hand. "See?"

"Wow! Where'd you get that from?"

"I made him. He's programmed to speak too. What's your name, little buddy?"

"I am Groot!"

"Nice work!" One of them smiles and I nod a bit in thanks. "Well, we'll let you get back to your celebrating."

"Thank you, Officers." I put Groot back on my shoulder and we go over to the rest of the crew.

"They're mute and Groot is a dancing, speaking robot you made?" Dad looks at me and I shrug a bit.

"It worked, didn't it?" I look over my shoulder a bit to see them driving off and sit at a table, sighing softly in relief. Kraglin sits next to me and someone knocks the light above us out so we can drink without being worried about being spotted by the Skrulls.

"Gods. Hell's this, girl?" Yondu asks about his drink and I smirk as I take a drink.

"That, Captain, is a concoction of the ages on Terra. Vodka and Fireball Whiskey mixed up into a bottle. They also think it's brilliant and charge through the roof for it. It was fifty bucks for one bottle." Dad whistles and I nod, raising my glass. "To Halloween and being a crew of space pirates!" The rest of the crew cheers and we all drink.

I wave my hand and everyone goes silent. "Krags, mask." We both activate them quickly and I look around, seeing a heat signature in the trees behind us. I go over to the trees and keep my hand on my blaster as I look around, unable to see the heat signature again. I walk back to the table, keeping my eyes on the trees, and sit down again.

"See anything?"

"No..."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The fact that I didn't see anything..."

"What?"

"There's always some type of creature in the trees here... Deer, snakes, spiders, or bugs... There wasn't a single heat signature in there... Something's off..."

"Relax, kid. You're probably just being paranoid." Rocket hands me a drink and I take it. "Have a drink, it'll calm your nerves." I nod slightly and turn around before deactivating my mask, downing the drink quickly. "Relax." He tries to give me another drink and I push it away, reactivating my mask.

"Something's bugging me about those trees... Taz, come with me." I stand and he nods, standing as I set Groot on the table.

"Girl..."

"I'll be fine, Captain." He nods after a moment and Taz and I go to the trees. "Keep your eyes out for anything weird, Taz." He nods and we stick close to each other for a minute before I wander off on my own while he does something. I get knocked out from behind and fall to the ground with a grunt, everything going black around me.

When I come too, I'm bound by chains to poles and look around a bit to try to figure out a way out. "Look who's awake." I look towards the voice and see the Skrull that looks like my sister and some blue species looking at me.

"Skrull. What the fuck are you?" The other one comes over and hits me in the face.

"I am a Kree."

"Well, shit..." I mutter and finally notice that I was dressed in a raggedy dress. "What the Hell did you do with my clothes?" I growl and they hit me with something. I scream in pain when it sends shocks throughout me and pant when it stops.

"Watch what you say, slave 22-3-16." They growl and I lift my head to spit in their face. They hit me with the electric thing and I scream again, going limp when they stop. They both walk out and I look around, able to tell that I was on a ship. I press my right ear into my shoulder and hear a deafening screech before I yank my head away, everything suddenly absolutely silent.

I try to scream but can't hear anything and that terrifies me more than not knowing where I was.

\--------

Taz comes out of the trees on his own and the whole crew stands up. "Where's Rogue?" Dad asks and Taz looks around the crew.

"I heard her walk back this way. She isn't here?" Yondu punches him and contacts Stakar as they all quickly go back to the cabin where the _Eclector_ was waiting.

_"Yondu, what's wrong?"_

"The girl's missin'. An' Skrulls are on Terra."

_"We'll be in Terra's solar system as soon as possible. We've also gotten word that Kree ships have been spotted there."_

"Damnit! We shouldn't have let her go in the trees!" Dad growls and hits himself in the head.

"Peter, calm down. We are going to find her." Gamora holds his arm and he just nods. 

They get back to the _Eclector_ and board it, piloting off of Terra.

\-------

The Kree comes back after I've screamed myself hoarse and presses against my ear before I can hear again. "Now, the Skrulls have been so kind as to sell you to us. You are officially a battle slave of the Kree. I am your new master, Shakaroth. I have water for you if you'd like it." He presses a canteen to my lips and tilts it back. I keep my mouth shut and it cascades down my face and chin.

"Suit yourself." He pulls it away and presses my ear again before walking off. I scream at him, unable to hear again, and he keeps walking. The walls around me start to flash pictures and I can hear voices in my head.

_"The Kree care for you. You will not need anything ever again. We will provide for you. You will fight for us. These people are not your family. These people do not care about you."_ I shake my head and try to block it out as the pictures start to flash of Dad, Yondu, Kraglin, Gamora, Groot, Jay, and the rest of the crew and the other clans.

"NO! LIARS!" I scream, still unable to hear myself, and the voices continue, repeating over and over again. I try to drown them out but they just get louder with each thought I try to drown. "NO!"

_"You will fight for us, 22-3-16."_

\--------

"Captain, the ship's been found. It's behind the one with the rings made out of space debris." Jay looks at Yondu and he nods. "The Captains of the other clans are preparing to jump to come to help us."

The ship moves from behind the planet and goes through a jump, the _Eclector_ right behind it. "Where the Hell are they going?" Dad growls and Yondu clenches his jaw.

"To the Kree homeworld..." Jay says and punches something. "If they get there with her, we aren't going to be able to get her back!" Dad contacts Stakar and informs him of the new information.

\-------

I feel exhausted but the voices won't stop and Shakaroth comes in again, pressing my ear. He presses the canteen to my lips and tilts it back. I drink it this time and he allows me to drink the whole thing. It has a weird aftertaste but I don't dwell on that and he grabs my chin, making me look at him. "I'm going to unchain you and you are going to kneel. If not..." He shows me the electric thing and presses a button to make currents go through it. "Are we clear?" I nod and he unchains me.

I suddenly grab the electric thing and use it on him before running out of the room. I take down a couple of Kree and am surrounded by them after a minute, each of them holding their own electric thing. They attack me and I fight as hard as I can.

Shocks are going through my entire body and I scream, falling to my knees. Shakaroth comes over, holding a whip, and stands in front of me. "The Skrulls were so kind as to include a whip when I bought you." He suddenly hits me with it and I scream, falling. "Oh, it is a very nice one, as well. It can go down to the bone, they said." He hits me with it again and I scream, fingers clawing against the floor. "And to think I was kind to you." He whips me and I scream at each lash.

"Take her back to her cell." A couple of them grab me and drag me back to the cell I was in earlier, chaining me up again. The pictures and voices are back and I can't do anything, let alone scream.

\------

_"We're meeting up with you now, Yondu,"_ Stakar says over a transmission with other Captains of the one hundred clans and lands next to the _Eclector_ after a jump. _"What's the plan?"_

"Git on tha' ship an' git tha' girl back."

_"Great plan."_ Aleta scoffs and puts her hands up at the glare from Dad. _"We need to have a better plan than that. What if we run into more slaves on the ship? That's the type of ship she'll be on and you all know it."_ She says simply at the glares from Dad and Yondu and Jay nods a bit.

"Then we free them as we find them," Jay says simply, and the Captains all nod.

_"I like the way you think, boy. We'll be on there shortly."_ Stakar says and the small team of rescuers goes to the hangar to storm the ship. Yondu, Kraglin, Dad, Gamora, and Rocket while Jay stays to help Doc in med.

\--------

Someone comes in with Shakaroth and fixes my body up with something that takes away the pain and blood, mending the skin back together. Shakaroth watches me and I keep my eyes averted. "I see that you can learn." He grabs my chin and has me drink more water, which I do. Alarms blare and he looks around. "It's time for you to prove yourself to us. Fight them. Win. Kill them. They're here to take you and will act as though they care about you. They don't. We do." He leaves with the other person and pictures of people start flashing around me.

_"Fight them. Kill them. Win for us, 22-3-16."_ The voices say and I stare at the pictures, eyes blank.

\--------

"Let's get her back." Rocket holds a huge blaster and they split up to take the ship along with Stakar, Martinex, and Aleta.

\--------

The pictures and voices suddenly stop and I pass out slightly.

Someone has their arm around my waist while the chains are being shot off and I open my eyes. "She's awake!" I look at the person with the mask on and attack them, wrapping the chains around their throat before throwing them to the ground. Someone hops onto my back and I grab them, throwing them into the wall. I crouch low and growl loudly. Someone comes towards me and I grab their arm, yanking down to my level before slamming my body into theirs while still holding their arm.

They scream and I throw them. Someone lunges at me and I roll away hitting them across the back with the chains. They fall to the floor with a grunt and someone grabs me from behind. I wrap the chains around their foot and pull, making him fall with me on top of them. I get off of them quickly and stay low to the ground. Someone slowly walks over to me and grabs my face once they're close enough.

"Stop this," He says and I growl, only making him hold my face tighter. "Ya ain't a battle slave. Ya are a Ravager. Ya are m'crew, girl. Ya are m'grandgirl. Ya ain't a damned battle slave under nobody!" He growls and I squint at him, coming out of it slowly. "I'm givin' ya an order as yer Cap'n, girl! Snap outta it!"

I suddenly grab his arms and he looks at me as my pupils go back to normal. "Captain...?" I murmur and he pats my face.

"Atta girl..." He wraps me in a hug and I hug him back, gripping his jacket for a second before he pushes me away. "Yer gettin' outta 'ere. Now. Quill, give her yer jacket." Quill comes over to me and helps me slip the jacket on. "C'mon." He growls and we're quickly moving through the ship.

A metal wall suddenly slams down in front of us and we stop, turning to see Shakaroth. "22-3-16, I am highly disappointed. I had such high hopes for you." I start to drop to my knees and Yondu grabs one arm while Kraglin grabs the other.

"Wha' I tell ya, girl? Ya ain't a slave under nobody!" He growls and I nod shakily. Shakaroth laughs and we look at him.

"You're going to listen to a fellow slave about not being one? That is just rich." He smirks and grabs the whip from his belt loop.

"D-Don't talk 'bout m'Cap'n like that..." I growl, not very loud, and he glares at me, unfurling the whip before snapping it against the floor. I jerk violently and the only reason I'm still standing is because of Kraglin and Yondu.

"The two of you are just a couple of good for nothing runaway slaves!" He yells and I can feel myself shaking at the sight of the whip but force words out.

"I... I ain't a slave! An' neither is m'Cap'n!" He waves the whip tauntingly and I flinch slightly as he laughs.

"Of course you are. What else would you two be, 22-3-16?"

"That ain't m'name..." I growl softly and he raises an eyebrow at me.

"What was that?"

"That ain't m'name!" I yell and he looks shocked, pulling out an electric thing too. "That... That don't scare me!" He smirks and waves it in front of him, taunting me. I swallow slightly and take a small step forward.

"I ain't a slave! An' m'name ain't a number!"

"What's your name then?" He snaps the whip on the floor and I tense forcing myself to keep my eyes on him.

"Rogue... M'name is Rogue Udonta 'a the Udonta Ravager clan... An' I ain't no slave!" I suddenly lunge at him and yank the electric thing out of his hand. He wraps the whip around my throat and I use the thing on him, making him let go of the whip. I snatch it and move back to the others quickly, unwrapping the whip from my throat with some help from Quill.

"If I can't have you as a slave, then they can't have you as a Ravager." Shakaroth snarls and presses a button on his wrist. I scream and fall to my knees as electricity goes throughout my body, ten times worse than with the electric thing, before falling to the floor, unconscious.

\---------

"You bastard!" Quill runs for him but he's hidden behind another metal wall and Rocket yells at him as he and Martinex get the first wall up.

"Quill! Come on! We gotta get off of this damned ship!" Stakar picks me up and they quickly get off of the ship, going back to the _Eclector_. 

Stakar lays me in a bed in med and Jay comes over with Doc. "What happened?"

"We don't know. One of the bastards pressed something on their wrist and she screamed, falling to the floor then she was out cold." Quill growls and Doc checks me over with a machine to see what happened. "Doc?"

They pull up a picture of my body and little things were running throughout my bloodstream. "I'm guessing those are why she screamed and fell. Kree technology." They look at Rocket and Gamora. "What happened to you two?"

"They did something to her to make her try to fight us to the death." Rocket scoffs and Doc goes over to them, fixing both of their shoulders. 

"I'll figure it out. But I need room to do that." They move a couple of steps away but still close enough to keep an eye on me and Doc sighs. "Alright." They get back to work and extract a couple of the things in my bloodstream but they evaporate as soon as they're out of my body.

\----------

(Note, at this point, Rogue doesn't know who is who but I want to make sure you're aware so it will have who says what but Rogue won't know who that is.)

I sit up suddenly and have a scalpel to Doc's throat. "Who the Hell are you people?!" I growl and they all put their hands up. "Where the fuck am I?!" I look around and Yondu grabs my arm, taking the scalpel out of my hand.

"Calm down, girl. Wha'cha remember?" I yank my arm away from him and think, brow furrowing a bit.

"I don't know... Um... Being dragged out of a fire by you..." I look at Yondu and he nods.

"Wha' else?" I think more and grimace in pain when my head hurts, putting it in my hands.

"Hurts..." I groan and someone gently lays a hand on my shoulder making me look up to see Stakar looking at me.

"You were captured by the Skrulls and Kree. They did something to make you forget. Keep trying to remember and show them where to shove it." Quill says and I rub my face, trying.

"How do I do that when it hurts my head to think about it?"

"Alright..." Rocket climbs onto the bed with Groot and sets him at my feet.

"Twig, wha'cha want?" Yondu asks and I flinch violently as pain explodes throughout my head, remembering the bar on Terra.

"Groot, are you OK?" I ask worriedly and with a grimace. He nods and looks at me.

"I am Groot?" He asks carefully.

"Wha' he say, Rat?!"

"Rocket." I look at Rocket and he nods slightly.

"He asked if you were OK?"

"Awe, little buddy, I should be OK..." I try to smile reassuringly at him and it's more of a grimace so he just moves closer to me, sitting in my lap.

"I am Groot!"

"He says he's not leaving until you're OK." I nod a bit and rub my head. "You know where you are?"

"Med bay of the _Eclector_..." I look at the faces of the people around me and try to remember. "Help me out here..." I look at Quill and squint at him. "You... You're..." I growl in pain and press my palm against my temple.

"Doc, can't you give her something to help with the pain?" I press a hand to my stomach in memory and they notice. "What is it?"

"I got stabbed here... By him...?" I look at Jay and his eyes widen. "No... By... By a Skrull that looked like him..." He relaxes a bit and I look at him. "Who are you?" He winces a bit and just nods.

"You'll remember soon enough." Doc supplies and I nod a bit. "This should help with the pain. Keep trying to remember." I look around the room again and they land on Gamora.

"Female Kermit..." I mumble and she kinda nods. "You married him..." I point to Quill and look at him. "And you're... Damnit!" I hit the bed next to me, getting frustrated at not being able to remember, and Groot gently pats my arm.

"I am Groot!"

"Groot, bud, we can't help her out like that. She's got to figure out who we all are on her own." 

"I am Groot?"

"That we might be able to do... Kid." I look at him and he smirks. "Which one's the Captain of this ship?" I wince a bit at the memory that comes but it wasn't as bad as before and I look at Yondu.

"You... Captain... Yondu Udonta..." He pats my shoulder and I nod a bit. 

"Alright. Who's the First Mate?" I think and point to Kraglin after a minute.

"String bean over there."

"And what's his name?"

"Obfonteri.... Kraglin!" Kraglin grins at me and I kinda grin back. 

"Who is your father?" Gamora asks and my eyes go wide.

"One of these nutcases is my dad?! Cool..." I think and kinda glance between Kraglin and Quill. "I want to say it's Kraglin but... That doesn't seem right, so you... I think..." My voice sounded terrible and I clear my throat. "Can I have some water or something?" Doc nods and gives me a glass. I drink it quickly and hold it in my lap as I think a bit more.

"You're Star-Lord... But you're in a database... As Quill... Petri? No... Peter." He nods and I rub my head a bit. "We went to Terra... And visited my Mom, her grave... Then got drinks at a bar... I went into the trees with... Taz. Is Taz OK?" I look at Yondu and he scoffs. "It wasn't his fault. I thought I saw something and I went to check it out, going sort of back to the bar before turning near the edge of the trees. Is he OK?"

"Why do you care?"

"Cuz he... He's a good... He's a good mechanic." I say after struggling for a moment and a couple of the crew members come in with stuff.

"Wha' ya want?" Yondu growls and they gulp a bit.

"We heard she was having trouble remembering stuff... So... We brought some stuff to try to help..." Fang says awkwardly and looks at me.

"What do you got?" They put a couple of crates down on the floor before Fang pulls out a holopad and pulls up the stuff on it. "I can't read that... Good try..." He nods and sets it on the bed before pulling out a pair of boots. "Sick." He looks confused and I find a different word. "Cool." He nods and hands them to me with a remote. I turn them over in my hands and recognize them. "Blaster boots! Sick!" I rub my head slightly and look at Fang.

"Fang, you're the asshat that likes to fall off of ships."

"Cuz you startled me! Fuck you!"

"Yeah, whatever." I roll my eyes and look at Quill. "You gave me a pair of these to help me wash the ships after Captain gave me that task because I trashed your ship looking for batteries." He smiles and I look at the other crew members. "What else you got?" Kraglin hands me his knife and I turn it over in my hands, gripping the handle tightly when a lot comes rushing back.

"Remember anything else?" I look up and nod.

"Captains Ogord, Sparkles, Gamora, and Jay..." I hand Kraglin back his knife and he puts it back in his holster. "What next?" They hand me a pair of gloves and I turn them over. "Magnetic gloves for crawling through vents, like what I did in Quill's Stealing... Or when I had to clean all of the vents on the ship because Skrulls tricked me on Contraxia..."

"Why in the Hell did you have this girl cleaning vents because she got tricked by the damned Skrulls?" Aleta glares at Yondu and he just grins, motioning for me to tell her.

"Captain told me to stay close to him, Kraglin, or Quill and I didn't." She nods and Jay comes over to me. "What do you got for me?" He hands me a ring and I take it, looking it over while they all watch me in complete silence.

I look at him after a couple of minutes and he smiles nervously. "Hey, alienboy." He hugs me tightly and I hug him back, chuckling softly. "Alright, let me go. I have a bit of pain in my back..." He lets me go and narrows his eyes at me. "I'm fine, it just hurts a bit." I smile and gasp in pain, clutching my ears. Someone tilts my head up and I can see Yondu's mouth moving but can't hear him. I vaguely notice the rest of the crew leaving and my hands shaking a bit as they try to make my ears work again.

Someone grabs my hands and pins them down. Doc holds my head still and takes things out of my ears. I can hear again once they're out and breathe shakily, hands still shaking. "What the Hell are those?!"

"Kree technology. They make it so you can't hear anything."

"They fucking suck!" I take a few deep breaths and calm down. "I got any more of that fucking tech in me or was it just those little bastards?" Doc looks at Yondu then back at me and just shrugs. "You're a terrible liar. What is it?"

"You have tiny things in your bloodstream. That's what I believe caused you to act the way you did towards everyone that came to rescue you and what caused your memory loss."

"So, hang on... Let me get this straight... We went to Terra, visited my Mom, went to a bar, and I got a bad feeling that no one wanted to listen to?" They kinda shrug and nod and I nod a bit. "Did no one think that I might know when something is wrong in my own damned hometown?" I look at them and Yondu crosses his arms.

"In my defense, you're usually on edge when it comes to the Skrulls and the fact that they were on Terra made sense that you would be paranoid." Rocket shrugs and I nod a bit.

"What happened aboard the ship?" Aleta asks and I let out a breath, remembering that clearly.


	6. Chapter 6

"Shakaroth, that Kree I used the electric thing on, didn't seem to like my charm. Or the fact that I spit in his face when I first met him."

"Shakaroth?" Yondu and Jay look at me and I nod. "Well, at least we can be sure that we still have one enemy in the ranks of the Kree." Jay scoffs and I look at him.

"Yeah, he wasn't really happy with the way things played out for him."

"Good."

"What happened on the ship?"

"I spit in his face and he hit me with the electric thing. When he left with the Skrull, I tried to use my earpiece, and those bastards activated with a screech in my ears." I motion at the things Doc pulled from my ears and set my hand down.

"Then I couldn't hear anything and I ended up screaming myself hoarse. When he came back, he turned them off and tried to make me drink. That didn't happen so he turned them back on and left. The walls started to flash with pictures of you guys and this annoying voice in my head started spewing shit about how the Kree cared and other bullshit. I screamed more to try to drown it out, it got louder, and nothing worked to shut it the fuck up."

"After that?"

"The jackass came back and had me drink a canteen of water with a weird aftertaste. I didn't think about it at the time, but I probably should have. He unchained me on the orders to kneel once I was unchained or he'd use the electric thing on me. That didn't work in his favor at first. I stole the thing from him, used it on him, and bolted from the room. I took out a few of them. They attacked me in a group and didn't seem to like me using their toys, so they used more on me. Woo-hoo!" 

"Then?"

"Shakaroth got a two for one deal for me and a whip. He said that it could go down to the bone and was very thrilled to use it." Doc moves over to me and Jay helps me take the jacket off before slicing through the back of the raggedy dress. I turn so Doc could see my back and move my hair over my shoulder.

"Gods. What did they use to close them?"

"No clue. They had just finished up when the alarms blared to alert them to you guys. Pictures flashed again and the stupid voice said to fight you, kill you, and win. After that, everything's a blur. Up until Yondu made me snap out of it. Thanks for that, Gramps." He pats my shoulder and I hiss a bit when I feel Doc working on fixing my back properly. "So... Am I gonna be getting any scars from that?"

"Probably."

"Sweet." Yondu hits the back of my head and I chuckle.

"Yer an idiot." He and Kraglin say together and I just chuckle.

"I am Groot?"

"No! You can not see this!" Rocket says and I hold Groot in my lap.

"It's just skin and some injuries. Here, Groot. You can see these." I fold my arms so he can look at them and he carefully touches where the chains had dug in.

"How hard did you fight him, Rogue?" Jay asks and I think.

"A lot."

"What happened after you got out of the room?"

"We made it through most of the ship before we got trapped in a small space with Shakaroth and Yondu and Kraglin were the ones to keep me from kneeling for that asshat. And the only reason I stayed standing for a good portion of that time. That damned thing hurt like a bitch and it honestly scared me... So, thanks for keeping me on my feet, guys. I appreciate it." They both pat a shoulder and I look down at Groot to see him gaping at me.

"I am Groot!"

"He says you should watch your- Hey, you're one to talk, buddy!" I chuckle and pat Groot's head gently.

"Sorry, little buddy. It's a coping mechanism." He pats my arm and I smile at him.

"There. Done. Any other injuries I should know about?"

"I mean if you want to look at where they hit me with the electric things...?" They nod and I carefully move, pulling a blanket over my lap after lifting Groot. "Can I get one of my shirts? I'm tired of wearing this damn thing." Jay pulls one out of his pocket and I raise an eyebrow at that to which he just shrugs. I wait and they look at me.

"Are you going to change your shirt?"

"You want me to expose my body more to you?" That makes them all turn and I change the shirt as quickly as I can.

"I am Groot!"

"He wants to know if he can help..." Rocket snickers and I throw a glove from earlier at his head before nodding at Groot. He helps me with pulling the new shirt on and I stop him when it's just below my breasts.

"Alright, Doc." They turn around and their eyes go wide.

"Gods!" The others turn too and look at my torso which was covered in burns and had a deep gash from the first lash of the whip. Doc fixes up the gash first before looking at the burns and gently touches one making me inhale sharply. "Sorry..."

"It's fine... Just... Just do what you need to do..."

"If you don't mind me asking when was the last time you had a menstrual cycle?" Gamora asks suddenly and I gape at her before she looks at me, thinking.

"I... I don't know..."

"Guess." She shrugs and I think, slowly blowing air out of my mouth.

"Since before I got stabbed by the Skrull..." I say slowly and look at her. "Why?"

"Your bloodwork showed something odd so I guessed at what it was about."

"Doc?!" I look at Doc with wide eyes and they chuckle nervously. "I swear to the Gods, Doc..." I growl and they smile gently at me.

"I don't believe that it survived... While you were unconscious, I kicked everyone out because you were bleeding heavily... I'm sorry, Rogue..." I nod a bit and they get back to doing what they needed to do with the burns from the electrical sticks.

"Ya a'right, girl?" I nod a bit and run a hand through my hair.

"Just... Not sure how to react..."

"Did anything else happen between you and Shakaroth?" Jay asks gently and I nod a bit.

"I stuck up for Yondu... The bastard thought he could talk shit... So I used the electrical stick on him again..."

"Damn straight she did." Yondu claps a hand on my shoulder and smiles at me with pride. "Ya did good, girl."

"Thanks..." I smile a bit and he squeezes my shoulder as I look at Stakar. "I wanted to talk to you about something, Pops..." He chuckles and looks at me.

"What's that?"

"There should be one hundred and one clans..."

"Who would be the Captain?"

"Well, um... That's the main thing... I was thinking... Me? Maybe? That would be the only way I'd leave Yondu's clan... Other than dying..." The room was silent and Doc had stopped for a moment before continuing.

"When?"

"As soon as I'm healed up?" 

"Why you?"

"Because she's a damned good Ravager and she'd make a damn good Captain too. She's grown up around some of the best Captains in the Galaxy. And Captain Udonta." Jay smirks and I glare at him. "Kidding."

"Who would be your First Mate?"

"Jay would be. If he stops talking shit sometime today." He just smiles charmingly at my glare and I look at Stakar. "I have a crew planned out already if you agree."

"Oh yeah? Who's tha'?" Yondu asks and I look at him then back at Stakar.

"The kids on the poorer side of Xandar. Hear me out about a crew full of kids." I say quickly when Stakar opens his mouth to argue and he closes it, nodding. "If I recruit them from their situation, they'll be loyal to me and at the ages, they're at, I can teach them. With help. As a wedding gift, maybe?" I try and he raises an eyebrow at me.

"When is the day, anyway?" Aleta asks and Jay steps up to answer it.

"As soon as she's healed, Captain Ogord." Altea and Stakar look at each other and me.

"I'd sit up straighter, but... You know..." They nod and talk quietly before leaving. "I think that went well...?" I chuckle and Doc finishes up. 

"There. Bed rest for a while. No leaving this bed unless it's to use the bathroom."

"Thanks, Doc." They nod and leave me to the company of my dysfunctional family.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doc finally lets me leave the med bay when I'm fully healed, other than some pain when I try to do too much, and Stakar was waiting for me outside of med with Jay, Aleta, Martinex, Kraglin, and Yondu. "How ya feelin', girl?"

"Like a million units, Captain." I smile at him and he claps a hand on my back making me hiss. "More like a thousand now, but still pretty good..." He chuckles and I notice Dad coming down from the controls. "Dad? What's up?"

"Glad you're finally out." He looks at Yondu and was worried. "Ships are coming through jumps left and right, Dad."

"Don't worry about those. Come with us." Aleta leads us to the hangar and I look at Dad and Jay before we all follow. I didn't have my jacket on, but I did have my holsters on and my shoulders one was just loose while I held my jacket over my shoulder. Jay tries to help me walk and I smack his hands away.

"Damn you, Jay. I can walk just fine on my own!" He puts his hands up and just walks next to me as we continue towards the hangar. 

When we get in there, there are hundreds of Ravagers all over the place and I look around a bit. Stakar, Aleta, Martinex, Yondu, and Kraglin stop in the middle of the hangar and look at me. "Rogue Udonta and Jay Hasselhoff, step forward," Stakar says and glances at us. I clear my throat at the last name to keep from laughing and step forward with Jay.

"I let your Dad pick it... Was that a bad idea?" I nod a tiny bit, barely keeping from smiling, and he scoffs a bit. "Of course it was." We both stop in front of Stakar and give him the Ravager Salute.

"We're here today to decide whether Rogue Udonta would make a good Ravager Captain!" He calls and someone whistles, making us look at them.

"She's just a little one! How is she going to lead anybody?" I look at Stakar and he just shrugs slightly. I activate my blaster boots and go up to where he was sitting on a ship.

"I've grown up on this ship around Captain Udonta and the two Captains Ogord. I'll lead how I'll see fit if I become a Captain. Any other questions?" He shakes his head and I nod shortly. "Good." I land back by Stakar and he looks at me.

"What makes you think you'd be a good Captain? You aren't even wearing your jacket!" Someone else yells and I look around slightly.

"Because I'm a damned good Ravager. And I'm not wearing my jacket because I'm still recovering fully from injuries I sustained from the Kree after being captured on Terra by Skrulls who then sold me to the Kree."

"How did you get captured?"

"What makes you think that? What's the best haul you've ever gotten from what?" I look at Yondu and he nods slightly.

"I got captured because I was trying to protect another crewmember of the Udonta Clan from a quick-moving heat signature that passed behind him. They were after me and I wasn't going to let them injure a crewmember. The best haul I ever got was my own idea and it was gotten from stealing from the Nova Corps. It was almost ten billion units from, unknown at the time, the Skrulls."

"You worked with the Skrulls?!"

"As I said, unknown at the time! Meaning, I didn't know they were a Skrull until they were stabbing me with what I stole for them, which I also wasn't aware of what it was..." The person scoffs and I level my blaster at them. "Just because I didn't know where you were at first, every noise you've made has alerted me to where you are currently. I will not put up with anybody's bullshit now or if I become Captain. Are we clear?" I look at him and he nods jerkily. "Good." I put my blaster back in my holster and look at Stakar.

"Who will be your crew?"

"There are kids on Xandar-" There are boos and I whistle sharply, making all of them go silent, thinking it was Yondu. "Thank you. As I was saying... There are kids on Xandar that have the potential to be a good Ravager crew with the proper training and they'd be loyal if I got them off of the streets. Captain Udonta, Kraglin, and I are working on a project to help me be able to use something similar to his Yaka Arrow with my own twist on it. It should be ready by the time my wedding comes." He nods and I watch as he walks around.

"Ninety-nine of the one hundred clans have voted! Only one is left!" He turns to Yondu and I look at him too. "Yondu, you're the last vote. And, as you know, it needs to be unanimous." He smirks at me and I look at him as he comes over to me.

He gives me the Ravager Salute and I reciprocate it. "Yer gonna make a damn fine Cap'n, girl." He smiles and I smile back.

"Thank you, Captain." There are cheers from all around the hangar as Stakar attaches a golden flame to my jacket and motions for silence around the hangar before it goes silent.

"Time for a tradition for new Captains." He looks around and all of them give me the Ravager Salute at the same time. Jay stands next to me and we give it back to them all before the entire hangar is erupting in cheers from the other Ravager crews and Yondu's. They pound on any nearby objects and Jay and I join in, pounding on nearby crates.

When all of the noise dies down, I stand slightly straighter despite the pain and look at the three Captains and the two First Mates in front of me. "We won't let you down."

"We know you won't." Aleta nods and I bow my head slightly.

"I need to talk to Segs, Ma'am. I have a dress to put the finishing touches on." She smiles at me and I head out of the hangar to go find Segs.

I go into his designing room and look around a bit. "Segs?! You in here?!" I go over to a bag hanging up and open it a bit. "Oh, wow... Segs! This is beautiful!" I call and smile at it. It was a mix of white with the Ravager colors and had a jacket with the same colors. Segs comes over to me and smiles.

"I'm glad you like it, my dear." I hug him in thanks and he gently pats my shoulder. "I can add something to cover your back if you want."

"No. The jacket is plenty and I'll be taking it off before we're married fully. Thank you so much, Segs." He smiles at me and I zip the bag back up after letting him go.

_"Rogue, we'll be landing on the planet for our wedding soon. Since all of the clans are here, I figured it'd be the best time,"_ Jay says over the wrist com and I nod a bit before replying.

"That's perfect, Jay. I'll get ready and the beach is already prepared for it. We just need to pay afterward."

_"We can manage that."_ He chuckles and I smile at Segs. _"I'll be on the_ Starhawk _to get ready and I'll meet you on the beach. Sound good?"_

"Sounds great. Send my Dad to my room when you leave. Oh, and ask Kraglin to grab the crate of holopads from the hangar too." I grab my bag and go to my room with a smile to Segs. I send any crewmembers I see on the way to my room planetside and go into my room, shutting the door to get changed.

When I'm dressed, I look at myself in the mirror and smile brightly. Someone knocks on my door and I go over to it. "Who is it?!"

"Dad." I open the door and yank him in before shutting the door again. "Wow..." He breathes and I smile, slipping my boots on carefully.

"Can you help me put the jacket on?" He nods and holds it for me while I slip my arms in before slowly settling it on my shoulders. "Thanks. Is everything ready planetside?" He steps away from me and taps his wrist com while I do something with my hair.

"Krags, is everything ready down there?"

_"Yeah, Petey. Bring yer girl out."_

"We're on our way." He taps his wrist com again and offers his arm to me. I take it and he leads me outside of my room and to the dropdown door of the _Eclector_. "You ready for this?"

"Absolutely." I smile and he smiles back, holding my arm against his gently as he leads me down the ramp. He walks me down the makeshift aisle and everyone looks at me, Jay's eyes widening as he smiles brightly at me. I smile back and walk with Dad, noticing the holopads that were set up with pictures of the people who couldn't be here today, including my Mom and Kat from the cabin.

We stop in front of him and he gently grabs my face before kissing my head. "Will you help me with my jacket again?" He nods and gently pulls it off to reveal the new scars on my back since the dress didn't have a back. "Thank you, Dad..." He smiles and holds it as he goes to sit down. I step next to Jay and he smiles at me, gently grabbing my hand to kiss it.

"You ready, sweet girl?"

"Absolutely, alienboy." I smile and we both look at Stakar.

"Ravager Clans and family alike, we are here to witness the joining of Rogue Udonta and Jay Hasslehoff, who wishes to say something about his name." I look at Jay and smirk as he turns to flip Dad off.

"Fuck you, Quill!" I smile and he smiles back. "Alright, that was it." I laugh and he smiles at me.

"Well... Moving on." Stakar rolls his eyes and continues. "We have come together as one to celebrate the love of these two idiots who took eleven years to get together after it seemed like they never would. So, congratulations on getting over your stupidity." He claps and I chuckle. "You two can say something if you want to."

"I've got nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Other than I love you." He smiles at me and I smile back.

"I think that the place we first made out should be the place we share our first kiss for our marriage. And... I l- Give me a second..." He smiles at me and I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "This phrase is hard to say because the last time I said it to someone, it was the last thing I ever said to them... For both, my sister and I believe my Mom... So if you die after I say it, I'll kill you." He chuckles and I smile at him a tiny bit.

"I love you, Jay. Now, enough of this sappy shit." He pulls me close and kisses me deeply while I kiss him back. Everyone cheers and we pull away, smiling at each other. "Now, there's a Terran tradition I've got to do if you don't mind," I smirk at the crowd and Jay does too. 

"I don't like those smirks." I hear Dad say and laugh.

"All of the single men, get up. We aren't going to bite you." All of the single men stand and gather into a group. "There are two traditions that go hand in hand with each other. The throwing of the bouquet and the throwing of the garter. Somebody want to give me a chair?" Stakar sets one next to me and I sit in it, slowly hiking my dress up my leg. Jay crouches down and removes the garter, teasing at my thigh slightly until I hit him in the head.

"Just get the garter, you idiot." He laughs and gets it off of my leg. "Make sure it gets to Kraglin," I whisper, lips barely moving, and he smirks, aiming it at Kraglin before sending it flying into his hands.

"Wha' the Hell do Ah do with this?!"

"You find yourself a woman, Krags!" I laugh and he blushes a bright blue a bit as I get off of the chair

"Ladies, your turn." Jay smiles and the single ladies gather into a group as I grab the bouquet.

"Alright, ladies! You catch this and you might be the lucky one Kraglin marries! Just look at that handsome devil!" I smirk and turn before throwing it over my head, turning again in time to see them fighting over it.

"Damn, Krags! You got a lot of admirers!" Dad laughs and I smile as Kraglin blushes more.

"Got it!" One of the female crewmembers on the _Eclector_ yells as she stands with it in one of her hands and smiles shyly at Kraglin. I whistle and cheer.

"Come on, Krags! It's fate!" Dad laughs and Kraglin flips us both off but does go to talk to her.

"That honestly couldn't have worked better. Krags has had a crush on her since Gramps recruited her." Jay laughs and I look at the DJ Dad set up in a hotel. "Let's get this party started for real! Everyone, head to that hotel and we're gonna have some fun!" They go that way and I follow with Jay.

"Whoa!" I squeak when he sweeps me into his arms and he carries me the rest of the way to the huge ballroom that we were using to dance in before setting me down, spinning me around.

"You look amazing."

"So do you." I smile and hear the DJ start playing slow music.

"Ladies and gentleman, the first dance goes to the new couple!" I go onto the dance floor with Jay and both of us look at the DJ.

"You wanna give us something more upbeat?" He nods and a faster tempo song starts. "That's more like it. Thank you." Jay chuckles and easily dances with me around the dance floor, ending the song with a spin back into his arms. The room erupts into cheers and I smile.

"Let's get the boring dances out of the way!" Dad yells and I turn to see him up there with the DJ, rolling my eyes. "Come on, Rogue. Another Terran tradition. You've got to grant your old man this father-daughter dance, don't you?" 

"Well... I suppose I can allow it." He smiles and hops off of the platform before coming over to me to dance to the slower tempo. 

"He said one of them had to be slow."

"Great." I roll my eyes slightly as we dance and he steps on my toes. "You step on my toes one more time, I'm feeding you to Gamora." He laughs and takes care to not step on my toes for the rest of the dance.

Once the song is over, I look at the DJ and smirk. "You play any more slow songs, I'm not paying you." He nods and I go over to Jay. "You know, Segs always outdoes himself with my outfits."

"What do you mean?" I smirk and sit in a chair to carefully disconnect the lower half of the dress so that it's to my knees instead of the floor and was tight enough that if I spun on my head or something similar it wouldn't go up to my head.

"That's better. Now I can kick some ass in dance-offs."

"You're going to have dance-offs on your wedding day?" He rolls his eyes with a smirk and I stand, smiling.

"Of course I am. And guess what?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I smirk. "You're the first victim. After a couple of songs. Or until Dad gets bored and says we're doing them."

A few songs go by before Dad is back on the platform and smirks at me. "Alright! Quill wedding tradition!"

"There's only been two weddings with Quills in them, Dad!"

"Doesn't matter! It's a tradition now!" I roll my eyes and he pulls a fedora off of the platform, hopping off. "Dance-off time! You're going down, kid!" He smirks at me and I scoff, going over to him.

"As if, Quill!" He gives me a mock glare and points at the DJ before a Michael Jackson song starts. He dances smoothly and I watch, arms crossed over my chest looking unimpressed until he tosses me the fedora.

"Let's see wha' ya got, girl!" Kraglin yells and I don the fedora, dancing smoothly in response to Dad's moves, before Jay whistles. I spin and point at Dad, passing it on to him. He yawns and does a few dance moves before busting out the moonwalk.

"Beat that!" He smirks at me and I roll my eyes, doing some moves I know he can't, including the splits at the end before getting back up. He gapes at me and I tip the fedora brim up at him, smirking.

"Think you can beat that, old man?"

"Alright, not bad. You win this one." I give him an over the top bow and he rolls his eyes but copies it. "Anyone think they can beat her?"

"Bet I can," Jay smirks as he comes onto the dance floor and I scoff.

"Pick your song, alienboy, and I get to start it out." He nods and goes to pick a song.

A song I absolutely despise plays and I gape at him. "There is no way in Hell I'm dancing to this!"

"Oh? Then, does that mean... I win? And, you don't have to if you're scared." He smirks at me and I glare at him.

"Ooh!" The Ravagers holler and I shake my head slightly.

"You're on." I take my hair down from its position and let the music flow through me before letting loose like Yondu had taught me to do.

When the song's over, Jay was smiling at me and bows with me following suit. "I kicked yer ass," I smirk at him and he laughs, nodding.

"Yeah, you did." He comes over to me and we both walk back to a table together since I needed a break from dancing now.

A familiar song plays and Yondu's crew whistles, every one of them knowing how to dance to this one. "C'mon, girl!" Kraglin pulls me onto the dance floor and I roll my eyes a bit but go with him, dragging Jay with us.

"Why do I gotta do this one?!"

"Cuz I gotta. C'mon. It'll be fun."

"Wha's it called 'gain?" Yondu asks me and I smile.

"Cupid Shuffle." He nods and Yondu's crew ends up in a row of lines with me between Jay, Kraglin, Yondu, and Dad. We dance according to the lyrics and a few other crewmembers from other clans join in after a bit, the Ogords included. I smile brightly and dance to the song happily, going to remember this day for the rest of my life.


	7. Chapter 7

All of the Clans spend the whole night dancing and Jay and I stay up with them since it's our party. Doc comes down in the early morning hours and had a box and surgery equipment. "What's that for, Doc?" I call from where I had just finished a dance-off with Yondu, losing, and they come over to me.

"Well, your implant is ready."

"Really?" They nod and I smile. "Let's get that bastard in my head, then!" They chuckle and has me sit down.

"Can you get them to quiet down?" I whistle loudly and everyone shuts up, looking at me. "Thank you."

"No problem, Doc. So, how's this work?"

"Well, I have to open your skull so I can get to your brain if you have one." The room roars in laughter and I roll my eyes.

"Very funny." 

"Wasn't it? Anyway, I put the implant in your brain and it will be more easily hidden than Captain's because it will be going at the base of your skull where your hair can hide it."

"Smart." They nod and look at me.

"Where do you want to do the surgery?"

"Her ship," Yondu says and I look at him. "Ya need a ship, don' ya?" I nod a bit and he smiles. "Ya got one. Outside." I look out a window to see a dark ship and smile. "Wha'cha gonna name 'er?"

" _Golden Opportunity_." He looks slightly surprised but just nods and I smile. "Cuz the name _Krees Can Kiss My Ass_ seemed a bit too long." He laughs and I stand, running a hand through my hair.

"Well, whatever the Hell it's called, it's bound to have a med bay. Let's go get this surgery done." I nod and follow Doc and Yondu onto the ship to the med bay. "Lay down." I lay down on a bed and Doc gets me hooked up to stuff. "This will be quick and painless. You'll be awake again in about an hour." I chuckle nervously and they smile at me. "Count down from ten for me." I nod a bit and take a deep breath.

"Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven... Sev..." I go under and close my eyes.

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When I wake up, I had less hair and sit up carefully. "She's awake!" Jay hollers and I blink a couple of times, looking around. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"You remember everything that happened?"

"Yes. I got married to you, we partied a whole night with all of the Ravager clans, I'm the Captain of this ship, the _Golden Opportunity_ , and Doc just put my implant in to help me control my own Yaka Arrow." I say as Yondu, Kraglin, and Dad come in. "And Gramps kicked my ass in a dance-off."

"Damned right I did." He smirks at me and I carefully run my hand over the back of my head, feeling the implant under my hair on the back of it. It went from the middle of the back of my skull to the base of it and I'd be able to cover it with my hair. "How's it feel?" 

"Like a piece of metal on my head." I swing my legs out of the bed and grab the box from Dad's hand, opening it. My arrow lays in the padding with the holster on the lid and I take it out, looking at Doc. "You connected the implant the same way Gramps has his?"

"No, I connected it the opposite way." They roll their eyes but nod and I look at Yondu.

"How do I do it?"

"Whistle an' picture it flyin'." I nod a bit and look at the arrow before whistling. The arrow lights up blue a little bit and kinda shakes before settling down again. "Try 'gain." I focus and whistle again, making it hover a bit but it falls to the floor when I stop. "Relax, girl. It's gonna take some practice." I nod a bit and he pats my shoulder. "Ya got some time ta work on it?" I nod and he nods his head towards the door. "C'mon." I follow him to the gym of my ship, holding my arrow, and we stand in the middle of the room.

He suddenly whistles and I spin to see his arrow flying towards me. I whistle sharply and my arrow knocks his off track. He smiles at me and nods a bit. I whistle again and it starts to fly around the gym. "I'm doing it!" I smile brightly at him and he nods, chuckling as I continue making it soar around. I whistle and it goes out the door but I can see where it's going in my head. "Awesome!" I keep whistling and it goes into med, flying around their heads.

"The crew brought yer clothes an' put 'em in yer quarters. Git changed, girl. Ya got a crew to git." I smile and run through the ship, whistling to get my arrow back by me. I go into my quarters and get changed, hanging the dress up in the close while the arrow floats around my head. I go to the controls and notice Jay waiting for me, changed into his Ravager leathers. We each had new jackets in a dark blue color and I smile, attaching the arrow holster to my opposite hip that my blaster was on.

"Time to go to Xandar." I notice through the window that everyone was getting back onto their ships and a few people come into the controls with Yondu, Kraglin, Stakar, and Martinex. "Who are they?" I nod toward them and they step forward to look at me.

"These are your leads of teams, cook, Doc, and your own personal Segs." I look at the one who looked similar to Segs and they bow.

"I see that you are enjoying your new jackets."

"You made these?" He nods and I look at the jacket. "Not bad. Name?"

"It's quite difficult. You may call me Ceptor."

"How about I call you Tor and we call it even?" He nods and I nod back, looking at the rest of them. "Do you want a formal invitation for me to ask for your names or are you just going to go ahead and tell me?" One of them steps closer to me and I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Nora. Lead mechanic." I nod and she goes back to where she was. No one else steps forward and I roll my eyes.

"If someone else doesn't step forward in the next five seconds, I'm kicking all of you off of my ship and going to get my crew on my own." Someone else steps forward and I look at him. "Name and lead of what department?"

"Lo, lead gunner." I nod and look at the woman to the left of him.

"Nebula, Gamora's sister. She asked me to be your lead technician and lead security officer." I look her up and down slightly and narrow my eyes at her.

"You the same sister that tried to kill my Dad?" She just barely nods. "You try any of that shit on here or anywhere else again, I'll scrap you and use you for parts. We clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. You." I point to the man to the right of her and he stands up straighter. "Name and department."

"Riv, navigations."

"You might not get much work done in that department, but I'll try to make sure you aren't just standing around all the time." He nods and I look at the next woman.

"Vera, lead pilot." I nod and look to the next space to see Rocket and Groot there.

"I am Groot!"

"He says that he would be the one going on missions in small spaces. I'll be the one covering his ass. It was Quill's idea." I go over to them and crouch to pick Groot up, putting him on my knee.

"That, little buddy, is not happening."

"I am Groot!"

"He says that that isn't fair and that he wants to help you."

"I appreciate that Groot, but Mantis would miss you too much. So you and Rocket head back to my Dad and Gamora. Rocket, give my Dad a kick in the ass when you see him from me, will you?" He nods and takes Groot when I hand him over. "I'll see you as soon as I get my crew ready, Groot, and you can explore to your little heart's content. Alright?"

"I am Groot."

"He says that he agrees and that- Hey, buddy, the language!" I raise an eyebrow and they look at me. "He said that he'll make sure Quill gets a hit upside the head for being a dumbass."

"Thanks, Groot. Now, go beat Dad up for me." They both smirk and leave the ship as I stand, looking to the next person. "Name and department?"

"You can call me Doc, med."

"Well, Doc, you have my permission to kick anyone out of med that is being an idiot with some medical wrap to fix themselves up. Unless they have life-threatening injuries. If they come back later and are acting like they have sense, I expect you to treat them." He nods and I nod back, looking at the last person.

"Coop, cook." I nod and look at them all.

"Well then, welcome aboard the _Golden Opportunity_." I look at Stakar and he nods slightly. "I'm Captain Udonta and this is my First Mate, Jay-" I laugh a bit and clear my throat slightly. "Gods, you need a different last name."

"I'm First Mate Jay Fletch." He says, ignoring me for the moment, and I nod a bit.

"Hell of a lot better than Hasselhoff..." I mutter and he elbows me in the ribs slightly. "We'll be taking off shortly to go to Xandar to get the rest of the crew as a major fuck you to the Nova Corps because they're a bunch of asshats." The crew smirks and a few chuckle. "However, we might have to play nice with them and treat them with respect if we get picked up by them. So, talk all of the shit you want when we aren't on Xandar or around the Nova Corps."

"Ya mean like ya did tha' one time?!" Kraglin laughs and they all look at me, curiously.

"This is a do as I say not as I do situation, Krags. It's just that no one can seem to appreciate my charm." He scoffs.

"Ya said tha' the guy's wife wanted some, wha' the Hell ya call it?" He thinks and snaps after a moment. "Righ', some bow chicka wow wow from the Warrior 'a the Galaxy, girl."

"That was all part of the plan, Krags. It got us in an interrogation room and them away from the vent so that Rocket and Dad could get the knife. And we could get paid." He shrugs a bit and I look at the crew again. "Unless it's necessary to the mission, treat them with respect so that I don't have to stick up for you in front of them when I have to go bail your sorry asses out of jail. I'll explain more about what I expect from all of you after we've picked the rest of the crew up. We clear?"

"Yes, Captain." They all nod and I nod back, looking at the other Captains and First Mates to see them not moving to leave.

"Are you coming with us to Xandar?" They nod and I nod back. "Alrighty then..." I go over to the controls and start to pilot the ship carefully off of the planet then towards Xandar while Riv and Vera help me. 

I land in a parking lot and look at Nebula, Tor, Coop, and Doc. "You guys stay on board and get yourselves set up in your areas. Lo and Nora, you two work on putting the name on the ship in gold letters then do the same with your areas. Riv and Vera, with me. Jay, you're in charge until I get back." He nods and I go off of the ship with the two of them and the other Captains and First Mates. I move carefully through the streets, avoiding Nova Corps members, and get to more deserted parts of the planet with them following me.

I go into a large house that was falling apart and there are sounds of scurrying before we're being rained on my rocks. I pound on a crate five times and the assault of rocks stops. "What the Hell type of greeting was that you little twerps?!" I holler and someone hops onto some crates.

"What do you want?" They aim a slingshot with a rock in it at me and I put my hands up, gesturing for the others to do the same as I go over to them.

"Well... Remember how I said I'd become a Captain and come back to get all of you little shits to be part of my crew?" They pull the slingshot back more and I stop. "Alright, we can talk from here." I shrug one shoulder and look around a bit, trying to spot the other kids.

"Ya ain't a kid so ya gotta be lyin'!" Someone yells from upstairs and I glance up at them, shrugging one shoulder again.

"I gave you my word. I don't break that." I whistle sharply to make my arrow fly around to be able to see better and the one on the crate dives for cover. "Calm down, kid. I ain't gonna hurt you. I'm just trying to be able to see, that's all." Somebody flicks something on and I can see around me now. "Thank you." I whistle my arrow back into my holster and look around at the kids slowly coming out from the shadows to look at me.

"Ya wasn't wearin' tha' color last time you was here..." A little girl says as she comes over to me and I crouch down to be eye level with her and nonthreatening.

"That's because I wasn't a Captain looking for a loyal crew the last time I was here. I was the Lead Mechanic on Captain Udonta's crew. Now, I'm the Captain of my own ship and I need a crew." I stand straight and feel a rock hit the side of my head. "Alright, you little shits." I chuckle and rub where the rock hit slightly. "Get your asses out here and let me see how big you all are."

Kids slowly come out from all over the house and I look at them, hands on my hips. "Line up, oldest to youngest." They do that and the little girl I talked to was close to the older side. "How old are you?"

"Twelve." 

"Twelve? Damn, I thought you were six, max." I look them all over and point to the youngest one. "How old are you, pipsqueak?"

"Six..." I look at the oldest one and he was standing tall.

"Alright, tough guy with the slingshot." I snatch the slingshot out of his hands and hold it out of his reach easily. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen." I look at Stakar and he was looking at the kids so I look back at them.

"You know who these guys are?" I point at them and the kids look around me before nodding. "Someone tell me, then."

"What? You so old you don't remember?" The oldest snarks and I look at him.

"Awesome, a volunteer. Who are they?" He glares at me and I cross my arms. "Go on, tough guy. Who are they? Or do you not actually know and just wanted to make yourself look big and bad in front of your group?"

"They're Ravager Captains. Captain Yondu Udonta with the arrow and his First Mate Kraglin Obfonteri. The other one is Captain Stakar Ogord and his First Mate Martinex T'Naga." 

"Good. Now, you guys and I have a job to do already. Convince the two of them that you'd make a good crew. Know why we have to do that?" They shake their heads and I hook my thumbs in my belt loops. "Part of the rules Ravagers live by is that we don't deal in kids. Do you want to be Ravagers?" They nod vigorously and I smile. "Then you better start helping me to convince them you'd make a good crew, you little shits!"

"We can lie, cheat, and steal better than any of you!" The oldest guy says and the youngest nods, showing off the knives he lifted from me and Kraglin.

"Ya little-"

"Krags, calm down." I look at the kid and hold my hand out for the knives. "Give me the knives back, kid." He gives them back and I put mine back while giving Kraglin back his. "Not bad. But that's a little guy. Can you steal worth a damn, boy?" I look at the oldest one and he spins Yondu's arrow around his fingers cockily. Yondu whistles sharply and the arrow is suddenly close to the kid's face, making him step back with a look of fear in his eyes.

"Don' git cocky, boy." He whistles and his arrow goes into his waiting hand. I snap and he looks at me.

"You get cocky or stupid, you get yourself and your crew killed. Back in line." I bark and he gets back to his spot while I look around at the faces of the other kids. "Anybody else got anything else they stole from us? If so, you've got ten seconds it hand it over before I search you all myself." They all start emptying the stuff they stole onto the floor and I look at the pile before looking at the other Captains.

"What do you say, Stakar? They good enough to be Ravagers?" He looks at the pile before looking the kids over and nods.

"They need training and to get some muscle. They're all too skinny. Any other kids you find Rogue, recruit them." I nod and look at the kids.

"Return what you stole to their owners. Now." They look at me and I purse my lips to whistle, making them scoff. I whistle and my arrow flits around above them. "Now!" I bark and they quickly gather up the stuff they stole, giving it back to the Ravagers they stole it from, except for the oldest one. "You ain't innocent just because you only stole Captain Udonta's arrow. It just means you're cocky." He glares at me and steps closer, swinging at me.

I catch his arm and pin him to the floor easily, plunging my knife next to his nose. "Boy, I don't recommend keepin' tha' cocky attitude. You ain't nothin' special, no more than the rest 'a yer crew. Yer gonna train with 'em an' yer gonna git better. But ya ain't gonna be cocky! We clear?" He nods jerkily and I let him up, putting my knife up as he stands. "And don't you dare swing on me again," I growl in the silent house and he nods his understanding while I put my arrow back in its holster.

"Cap'n." I turn to look at Riv and raise an eyebrow at him. "Everyone has their gear back." I nod and look at the oldest kid.

"As soon as we walk out of that door, you best leave your cocky attitude there too. Or else you ain't boarding my ship. We clear?" He nods and I spin on my heel to walk out of the house, followed by the others and the kids. Someone grabs my hand and I look down to see the little boy holding it with a little girl holding his.

"We didn't wanna get lost..." The little girl says and I nod a bit, stopping to crouch in front of them.

"You won't have to worry about that. Know why?" They shake their heads and I gently ruffle their hair. "Cuz you're part of my crew now and I look out for my crew. Nobody's gonna get lost, hurt, or taken on my watch. I give you my word. Alright?" They nod and I stand back up, nodding too. "Alright." I look around a bit and notice that we were about to get to the busy part of the planet, thinking.

"How are we going to do this, Cap'n?" Vera asks and I look at the kids, nodding to myself a bit.

"Alright, everyone that can move quickly, hold onto two of the little ones. Any of the little ones that can hold someone's hand tightly, hold onto a smaller one. Kraglin, you hold one on your back and two with your hands, please." He nods and I look at the kids, thinking a bit more. "Sparkles, you and Yondu take the lead back to the ship, Stakar and I will take the end and Kraglin will be in the middle." Everyone nods and I pick one of the smaller ones up, putting them on my back with a hiss. "Hold on tight, girl." She nods, wrapping her arms around my neck, and I look at the others. "Ready?" They nod and I nod my head for them to start going. Martinex and Yondu take the lead back to the ship and we avoid the Nova Corps members with some difficulty. Stakar has to scoop a kid up but we make it back to the ship without a hitch and we start to board. "Good job, gu-"

"Miss Udonta!"

"Shit..." I put the girl I had on my back down and turn with a smile. "Nova Prime, Ma'am. How can I help you?"

"What are you doing on Xandar?"

"Just stocking up on equipment for my ship, Ma'am."

"In the form of children?!" I tense and take a deep breath before responding.

"No. Because, as you know, Ravagers don't deal in kids as cargo. No, I mean literal supplies. Medical stuff, food, tools, that sort of thing."

"I see... Well, I'll need to ask the children to come with me." She snaps and Nova Corps guards come from either side of my ship. My hands automatically go to my knife and blaster and they all freeze, seeing the arrow.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I can't let that happen. These kids are my crew and they aren't coming with you anywhere. Now... I'm going to get on my ship the rest of the way, close this door, and we're gonna leave your wonderful planet. Peacefully."

"You can't take the children! That is kidnapping!" I whistle suddenly and my arrow is out of its holster, hovering dangerously over my shoulder.

"You didn't seem to care about us when we were freezing and starving to death just a few blocks away yesterday!" The oldest kid growls and she steps backward off of the plank, the rest of the Nova Corps following. "We aren't staying on this shit planet! So you can go screw yourself, you pompous bitch!" He yells at her and had advanced to where I was.

I whistle and my arrow is pushing him back away from her. "Thank you." She says and I look at her.

"I didn't do that for you."

"Well... I needed to talk to you, Miss Udonta."

"Captain." The kids correct and I smile slightly at them.

"Captain Obfonteri Udonta." She corrects and I look at her. "We need you to come with us for questions about the stealing of the Skrulls knife."

"You asked me any questions you had when you caught me outside of the vents." I notice the guard who punched me and smirk at him. "How's the wife, pal?" He growls and steps forward only to be stopped by a hand from Nova Prime.

"We have new ones. Such as what happened to the knife before it was returned to us after you were stabbed with it?"

"No clue, Ma'am. I got stabbed and rushed to med by my Dad. I didn't even know you got it back. Was that before or after you blatantly accused me of lying about my past?"

"I had just gotten it back when you came in." I nod a bit and grab my arrow to put it back in my holster, eyes on her the entire time.

"Well, Ma'am, not that this hasn't been... Lovely, I have to go. I have a crew to introduce to each other and get to know. It was nice seeing you again. Have a lovely day, Ma'am." She steps back with the guards and I walk backwards onto the ship before closing the door with a growl.

"Fucking cunt bucket," I mutter and look at the kids and the rest of the crew that had come to see what was happening. "Lo, Nora, did you get that done?" They nod and I nod back. "Good. Riv, Vera, with me. We're getting the Hell off of this damned planet."

"Aye, Cap'n." They walk with me back to controls and we pilot the ship off of Xandar, out of its atmosphere too.

Once we're in the deep, I look at the rest of the crew and they look at me. "I'm Captain Rogue Quill Obfonteri Udonta, you'll just call me Captain. Over there is my First Mate Jay Fletch." Jay nods and was leaning against a wall. "Treat him with the same respect you'd treat me because if I'm not on the ship, he's the acting Captain. There are different teams you'll be on depending on what you're good at. The mechanics will answer to Nora, she's the lead mechanic. Riv is the lead Nav and anybody on the team will answer to him." They nod at the kids and they look around at everybody. 

"Lo over there is the lead Gunner. He's the one that makes sure we don't get shot up by the asshats out there. Vera here is the lead pilot, meaning she's the best one on the ship."

"After you, Captain." She says quickly and I chuckle. "I heard you were taught by the best pilots on Captain Udonta's crew."

"I was. We can tell war stories when I'm done." She nods and bows her head in apology. "Nebula there is the lead technician and lead security officer." She glares at the kids and the oldest one stands taller while the younger ones look away. "Neb, be nice to the children." She just nods and I continue.

"Doc is the one you'll go to if you get hurt on missions or between them. When you enter the med bay, you act like you got sense or Doc can kick you the Hell out with stuff to fix yourself up unless it's life-threatening. Tor over there will be the one to get you fitted for your Ravager leathers and then you'll come to see me with your jackets and a patch." I notice a little girl with her hand raised and look at her. "Whatcha got?"

"Why do we gotta come to you with our jackets and a patch?"

"Tradition. The Captain helps new Ravagers sew on their flames. Captain Udonta did it with me when I first joined, I'm going to do it with you guys. If I get a little blood on your jackets, have some patience. I'm not a sewer."

"What are you then?" The oldest asks, eyes narrowed, and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I'm your Captain, a mechanic, a pilot, and a damned good shot. So watch yourself." He looks down and I look at the kids. "Alright, twerps, what are your names?" They look at each other and me after a moment. "You guys know our names but we don't know yours. Come on, spit them out."

"We don't have names." The oldest says and I look at him. "We just called each other our ages."

"Well, that ain't happening anymore. If you're gonna be on my crew, you're gonna have a name and some basic knowledge. Just give yourselves some names."

"How the Hell do we name ourselves?"

"I did. Just think of something you think is cool or you like and bam, you have a name. I ain't got all day." I hook my thumbs in my belt loops and look them over. "Tor, you wanna measure them for their leathers while they think?" Tor nods and comes over to start measuring, starting with the smallest ones who was waving his hand at me to get my attention. "Yes, pipsqueak?"

"Can that be my name?"

"Nope. It's a nickname. Come on, there's got to be something you guys find cool. Just say what you think is cool now."

"Yondu Udonta and his crew." They all say at the same time and Yondu looks at them in surprise while I laugh.

"Alright. I can work with that, I think." I motion Yondu and Kraglin over and they come over. "How about naming some of these kids after your first crew, Gramps?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug one shoulder. "They said your crew was cool, I think it would be a good idea." Kraglin steps towards the kids and looks at the oldest one while Yondu and I watch.

"Yer name is Horuz." He stands taller and nods while Kraglin moves on to the smallest one. "Yer name is Oblo..." He smiles and nods while Kraglin continues to name the kids after his old crewmates.

I step towards one of the girls and lay a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at me and smiles. "Kat... That's your name..." She smiles at me and nods while I squeeze her shoulder, looking at the only other girl. "How do you like the name Mara?" She nods a bit and I nod back. "That's your name, then." She nods again and I step back, looking at the group of now named kids. "Everybody got a name now?" They nod and I nod back.

"Ravagers have a code that we live by. Rule one, steal from everybody. Steal from Xandar, Nova Corps, Skrulls, Kree, anybody. You don't steal from your own or other Ravagers. Rule two, no killing each other onboard the ship. You got a beef with somebody," I get weird looks and change my wording.

"You got a problem with somebody, you settle it planetside. The only killing allowed onboard is me making an example or if there's a damned good reason for it. Rule three, we steal for a living and to get paid. We do not, ever, treat living and sentient beings as cargo. We ain't slavers and we ain't gonna act like it. Rule four, it's the same as the third one but with sex." Horuz blushes and I chuckle softly.

"We don't go to brothels with sentient people, only ones with robots, because it's just another form of slavery. Break the code and you're off my ship and out of the Ravagers faster than you can blink. Any questions?" The little kids shoot their hands up and I look at the smallest one. "Oblo."

"What's sentient mean?"

"Like you and me. They can think and feel."

"OK. What's sex?" I laugh and Horuz hits him in the head. "Ouch!"

"That ain't something you'll have to worry about for a while, Oblo. No worries."

"Oh... OK, Captain."

"Any other questions?" Mara raises a hand and I nod a bit at her.

"What is a good reason for killing on the ship?" I'm surprised and look at her.

"Wasn't expecting that to be your question..." I chuckle softly and she kinda shrugs. "OK, here's an example..." I whistle and my arrows against Jay's throat suddenly, making everyone look at me. "He ain't gonna get hurt, relax guys." Jay looks at me and I just wink at him, making him relax. "Somebody has you pinned and you can't get out alive without lethal force," I notice some confused glances among the kids and explain.

"Lethal means deadly, you can't get out without killing them." They nod a bit and I continue. "That's a good reason to kill onboard the ship. If it's an enemy then you go ahead and blast their sorry asses out of the realm of the living." I whistle and my arrow comes into my waiting hand. "Thanks for being a good sport, Jay." He just grunts and crosses his arms, going back to his relaxed position against the wall. 

"What if we don't know how to use a blaster?" One of the medium-sized kids, Vorker, asks and I look at him.

"You think I knew how to use a blaster when I first joined? Hell no! I thought it was a damned toy when I first saw it. You're gonna learn how to fire a blaster and hand to hand combat, with and without smaller weapons."

"Um, Cap'n?" I look at Lo and he was curious. "Who's going to teach them that? The heads of teams are going to be busy getting everything ready and you'll have to run a whole ship with Jay..." He says carefully and I nod a bit.

"You're the head gunner, you're going to teach them what you do. Everybody is going to work with the kids and once you've worked one on one with each of them, you're going to pick who you want on your teams." The kids start to argue and I put a hand up to silence them. "If they think you're good enough to work on their team, you are. And if they think you have the potential, you'll learn what they know. We clear?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. Hand to hand combat and knife training, I'll teach them."

"Who taught you?" Retch asks and I look at him.

"That's for me to know, bud." I wink at him and smirk. "All that you need to know is that you'll get taught what's important and any blaster training will be either me, Jay, or Rocket when he has time. All of you will start training to keep your body, and mind, sharp and learn how to sneak around better. Doc, you mind taking them to med and checking them over to make sure they're healthy?" He nods and leads all of the kids to med with Tor following to finish measuring them. I look at the heads of the teams and they were watching me.

"Get to work on getting your areas set up."

"Aye, Captain." They all go to do that and Riv sets his area up quickly before leaving to help another head.

"I should kill you for that stunt with your arrow." Jay scoffs once no one else is in controls and I just smile charmingly at him.

"Relax, Fletch. You didn't get hurt, right?" He nods slightly and I smirk at him. "Then relax. I'm sorry, please move on." He just nods and I nod back.

"Not bad." I look at Stakar and smile. "It's still not a very big crew, I'll send some more recruits over. Here." He hands me a holopad and I look through it to see it's a list of recruits with their background. "Any that pop?"

"The former Nova Corp guards the couple, Rin and Pan. I want those two, if possible." He nods and I look through them some more. "Jaz, Vin, and Taserface." Yondu and Kraglin suddenly look at the holopad and sigh softly in relief when it wasn't who they thought. I hand the holopad back to Stakar and he takes it. "Give me any other former Nova Corps guards or guards from any prisons that get recruited.

"That's a long list with those last two requirements."

"Then I'll have a full crew." He nods and I decide to add something. "And anybody saved from the Kree or Skrulls." He nods and I put my hair up on top of my head. "I've got a ship and crew to work on getting settled. I'll see you all later and I'll walk you to the hangar for your ships." They nod and follow me to the hangar. They get on their ships and leave. I clap my hands slightly and go to find Tor to see if I can help with anything.


	8. Chapter 8

I find Tor in his work area with the kids getting their leathers and whistle, making my arrow quiver in the holster slightly. "You work fast, Tor." He smiles at me and I look over the kids. "Alright, looking good." I grab patches from Tor and a needle with some thread. "Horuz, you first. Let's go." I sit on the floor with my back to the wall and he comes over, sitting next to me as he hands me his jacket. I carefully start to sew the patch onto his shoulder and concentrate, fingers fumbling a little bit.

"You're bad at that," Oblo says and I snort a bit.

"Gee, thanks, kid. I already told you I'm not good at sewing... I'm trying, alright?" They nod and I continue to sew. "Alright... You should be able to finish it up from here, Horuz." I give him the jacket and he finishes sewing it up easily, having a small smirk.

"I'm pretty good at this compared to you." I hit him in the head and he snickers. One of them comes over and I help sew on their patches. All of them were better at it than I was and I roll my eyes a bit. "Sewing not a class in Ravager school?"

"Not really, no. Unless it's to stitch up ourselves." I stick my tongue out of my mouth a bit to concentrate on the last patch and smile at my handiwork before handing it to Kat. "Here you go, Kat. Finish it up." She takes it and finishes it up easily. "I didn't pay that much attention in that class," I admit in a whisper and smile when it makes the kids laugh and Horuz smirk.

"Why not?"

"I was a lot more interested in the other classes or being in the hangar working on M-ships. I was the lead mechanic on Yondu's ship and I found that a lot more interesting than working with Segs in his designing area." Tor scoffs and I look at him. "I just wasn't interested in it." I shrug a bit and he nods a bit.

"Designing isn't for everyone, my dear Captain." He smiles at me and I nod. "And I believe that Terrans believe designing to be a feminine activity and all of the activities you enjoy are masculine activities."

"I guess so." I shrug and look up to see the kids were done sewing their patches, slipping their jackets on as I stand up. "Alright, guys, give me a spin." All of them except for Horuz does and I look at them, smiling. "Looking good!" I look at Horuz and raise an eyebrow. "Give me a spin, Horuz." He glares at me but spins and I smile. "Looks great! What do you say to Tor?"

"Thank you, Tor!" They smile at him and run out of the room.

"Hey! Slow down!" Horuz yells, running after them, and I chuckle, looking at Tor.

"Thanks, Tor." I set the extra patches in front of him and the sewing stuff too before heading out after he nods at me. I go to controls and look around, smiling a bit.

"Cap'n!" I turn to see Riv running in and I quickly go over to him. "One of the kids got lost in the ship and we can't find them!"

"They just left Tor's space! How did they get lost already?" He shrugs and I run through the ship, activating my mask.

"What's that for?"

"The lenses allow me to see heat signatures. Who are we looking for?"

"Oblo, the smallest one." I nod and run through the ship, looking through it. Everyone was looking all over the ship and I stop in a hallway, taking a breath to think. "Cap'n? What are you doing?"

"Hush! I'm thinking!" I look around and notice a vent high up. "Give me a boost." He nods and gives me a boost so I can open the vent, pulling myself into it. "Oblo?!" I yell and crawl through the vents a bit. "Oblo, where are you, pipsqueak?!"

"Captain?" A very soft voice asks and I turn my head towards it. Oblo was sitting in a vent behind me and I carefully turn to look at him as I deactivate my mask.

"Oblo, what are you doing in the vents, kid?"

"I got scared... Everything hit me at once... And I got scared..." He whispers and I gently pat his knee.

"Alright, come on... Let's get out of the vent... It's alright to be scared... I thought everything was a dream at first... Then I woke up on the ship again... And everything hit me hard too... It's hard to handle... I get it... Come on, pipsqueak..." I carefully crawl backward out of a vent opening and fall to the floor with a soft grunt before righting myself. "Come on, Oblo. It's alright." He carefully pokes his head out of the vent opening and looks at me. I smile gently at him and motion with my hands for him to come out.

"OK..." He carefully moves so he's coming out feet first and I catch him as he falls out of the vent before setting him on the floor, kinda holding onto my pant leg. Horuz comes around a corner and Oblo runs to him. "Horuz!" He scoops him into his arms and holds him close.

"You scared me, you little shit..."

"Sorry, Horuz..." He hugs him and I watch them for a moment before going back to controls to let them have their moment.

"Jay and I are here if you or any of the others need to talk," I whisper to them as I walk by and they nod a bit. I pat Horuz's shoulder and continue to controls. Jay was waiting for me and smiles at me.

"I heard you went into the vents to find Oblo." I nod a bit and hear some beeps from the monitors. "What's that about?" I sit in my chair and tap the screen. Stakar pops up and I smile at him.

"Stakar. What can I help you with?"

_"I know you're still getting your crew settled into your ship, but the Ravager clans are to attend a meeting to talk about the upcoming events and missions and such for the next cycle."_

"That's a year on Terra, right?" He nods and I nod back. "When do you need me there?"

_"Jay needs to come as well. Leave someone you trust in charge of the ship and meet me at the coordinates I'm going to send you."_

"Can do, Stakar. Jay and I'll see you soon." He nods and ends the transmission. I look at Jay and sigh softly, pressing a button on the console. "All crew report to controls immediately. All crew report to controls immediately." I repeat and let go of the button, leaning back in my chair for a moment before there's the pounding of boots outside of controls. I stand and everyone comes in, standing in the doorway.

"You called, Captain?" Kat asks and I nod, looking at them.

"Jay and I have to attend a Ravagers meeting to discuss upcoming missions and such for the next cycle. I need someone to be in charge of the ship until we get back." I look at them and they all look back at me, standing taller. "I want to make something clear first. The person I choose will also tolerate the First Mate I choose for them. We clear?"

"Yes, Captain." I nod and look at them.

"Nebula, you will be the acting Captain and Horuz will act as your second." They both nod and some of the Ravagers were surprised. "I haven't directly had any of you by me for long and I'm trusting Gamora's judgment on her sister. As well as what I've seen from Horuz with the way he acts around the younger ones. I expect all of you to assist any way they need and to not destroy my ship while we're at the meeting. We clear?"

"Yes, Captain." I nod and look at Jay.

"Alright. We shouldn't be gone for too long." I go with Jay to the hangar and they follow us. I see a ship with no name and look at it. "Whose ship is this?"

"Your ship Captain," Vera says and I look at it.

"Nice." I gently run my fingers over it and nod. " _Winter_ , that's its name." I board the ship with Jay and we strap in before I pilot us out of the hangar while Jay puts in the coordinates Stakar sent me.

"Relax. It'll be fine." He says gently and I look at him a bit, piloting still. "You deserve to be a Captain, Rogue. If Captain Ogord and the other clans didn't think so, they wouldn't have made you Captain."

"I know, I know... I'm just nervous..." He presses a button and music surrounds us, making me relax a bit. "Thanks..." He smiles at me and I pilot through a jump.

A hundred ships are docking in a huge carrier ship's hangar and I slowly pilot into it after all of them are in, docking the _Winter_ next to the _Warbird_. Jay presses the same button from earlier and the music stops before he unstraps. I was sitting there with my hands on the controls still and jump slightly when he gently touches my shoulder, looking at him.

"Come on, Captain... You got this... I love you..." I nod and unstrap, getting off of the ship with him.

"I love you too..." Yondu and Kraglin were waiting and smile slightly at us. 

"How's yer first day as Cap'n goin', girl?" Yondu asks as he and Kraglin fall into step next to me and Jay and I blink a bit.

"Good... I rescued Oblo, the smallest one, from the vents... And got all of their patches sewed on at the expense of some blood..." I look at my bandaged fingers and he laughs.

"Ya never was good at tha' stuff, was ya?"

"Nah, I sucked." I smile a bit and he claps a hand on my shoulder.

"Yer gonna do great." I nod a bit and take a deep breath. "Ya ready?"

"Let's do this." He nods and we go into a room where Martinex and the other First Mates were sitting.

"Yondu, Rogue. They're getting ready to start in there. You sure took your sweet time. Jay, I saved you a spot right next to me, pal."

"Wait, Jay isn't coming in too?" I hiss at Yondu and he shakes his head slightly. "Damnit..." Jay brushes his hand against mine on his way past and just barely smiles at me.

"You got this." He whispers to me and I barely nod, going with Yondu to the door as I take my hair down from on top of my head quickly. Yondu opens the door and goes inside with me following right after him.

"A Terran as a Captain? That shouldn't have happened." One of the First Mates hiss before the door is closed and I take a short breath, following Yondu to an empty seat across from him. I put my hands in my lap and wring them nervously while I keep my eyes on Stakar.

_"Lovely for the two of you to join us, finally."_ A voice says in my head and I flinch slightly, swallowing. _"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you. Yondu calls me K."_ A captain next to Yondu raises a hand at me and I just smile, knowing if I lift my hand it'll be shaking. Yondu hisses something to them and they look at me. _"I apologize deeply. I was unaware of... The specific events that transpired. However, this is the only way for me to communicate properly with everyone. I deeply apologize for startling you."_ He bows his head at me slightly and I clear my throat quietly.

"No need to apologize. I guess I'm just a little jumpy. It's a pleasure to meet you, K." He smiles at me and I smile back slightly before looking at Stakar as he claps his hands.

"Now that everyone's here, let's start the meeting." He smiles slightly at me and I relax a bit, knowing I was safe from the Kree here. He introduces all of the Captains to me and I nod at each of them.

Halfway through the meeting, there's pounding on the door before Martinex comes in and grimaces apologetically. "Captains, apologies for the interruption, but there's an all-out brawl out here among the First Mates and they won't stop." I stand and stride towards the door quickly, whistling sharply to make my arrow zip through the pairs of First Mates fighting which there were a lot of.

"What in the names of the Gods is going on out here?!" I look around the room of First Mates to see Jay beaten up and on the floor, unconscious, tensing. "Who. Did. That?" I snarl and step out of the meeting room to go towards him, crouching next to him. "Jay? Wake up, boy." I pat his face and his head just tilts to the other side before I stand up, whirling to look at Kraglin, who was also not looking too great as another First Mate was holding him by the front of his shirt.

"If ya wanna keep yer hand, let 'im go." I snarl and the First Mate quickly lets go of Kraglin, backing up a few steps. "Wha' happened?" I look around the room and see the other Captains had come out before my eyes settle on Martinex. "Martinex, wha' happened?" I growl and he looks shocked before clearing his throat.

"I'm not entirely sure of that... Kraglin and I were talking and the next second, Jay and Barkley's First Mate, Flint, were fighting... I'm not sure what it was about..." I clench my jaw tightly and look at Barkley, who was already dragging Flint out of the crowd. He was the one that was holding Kraglin my the shirt and I glare at him.

"Wha' the Hell were the two 'a ya fightin' 'bout?" I growl and he doesn't respond. I whistle sharply and my arrow is right against his throat. "I ain't gonna ask ya 'gain." He swallows slightly and the bulge presses against the tip of my arrow.

"A Terran shouldn't have become the Captain of a Clan with a Xandarian as her First Mate. Who'd you sleep with to get this high in the ranks?" He sneers and I tense, hands in fists at my sides so tight my knuckles are white. I stride over to him and grab my arrow before grabbing him by the collar, throwing him onto the table with my blaster at the back of his head.

"Ah press one button an' yer head is gonna go pop." I snarl and he doesn't move, neither does anyone else. "Ya lissen ta me an' ya lissen good. Ah don' care wha'cha think 'a me or m'First Mate. Ah didn' sleep with nobody ta git where Ah am. Ah worked m'ass off ta git where Ah was an' am! Can ya say the same thing?" He doesn't respond and I move my blaster, kneeing him in the stomach three times, hard. "Tha's fer beatin' m'First Mate." I stand next to him and take out my blade, spinning it between my fingers easily before slamming it down right next to his face, nicking his nose.

"Touch 'im 'gain, an' Ah won' miss." I yank it out of the table and put it back into my holster before doing the same with my blaster, going over to Jay. "A'right, boy... Let's git ya fixed up..." I murmur and carefully pull him off of the floor, slinging his arm over my shoulder. Kraglin comes over and helps me take him to the med bay on the ship.

"Help me lay 'im on tha' bed." He nods and helps me lay him on the bed closest to the door. "Git me tha' cart." He wheels it over and I take the rag, gently dabbing at his injuries. He winces in his state of sleep and I shush him softly. "Yer fine... Relax..." I carefully clean his face off and start putting bandages on his injuries very gently. I vaguely notice my arrow flitting around above us before whistling softly and it goes back into its holster.

I finish treating his injuries and gently run my fingers through his hair. "C'mon, alienboy... Wake up..." I mumble and look up when someone clears their throat, seeing Stakar standing in the doorway. I quickly stand and bow my head slightly.

"How is he?" I look at Jay before looking back at Stakar and kinda shrug.

"He ain't wakin' up... I fixed wha' I could... I don' know how ta use this crap..." Stakar nods and I notice someone move behind me before I spin, someone grabbing me from behind so I don't do anything stupid.

"Whoa, calm down, girl. It's jus' a Doc ta fix yer First Mate," Kraglin says and I nod a bit before he slowly lets me go. I watch the Doc work on Jay and cross my arms over my chest at the bruises on his torso after the Doc cut his shirt off, growling softly.

"One of his ribs is broken and it seems like he might have internal bleeding and intracranial pressure. If I don't hurry, he could die from both of them. I'll have to drill a hole into his head to ease the pressure and do a surgery to fix the bleeding." The Doc looks at us and I tense.

"Git ta work, then!" I bark and turn to leave the med bay, going to find Barkley and Flint. Someone tries to stop me and I shove right past them, pissed. I barge into the room from before and my eyes lock on Flint, charging for him. Numerous people grab me and keep me from touching him.

"Whoa! Girl! Wha's wrong?!" Yondu yells and I look at him for a moment before trying to get at Flint more, growling loudly.

"Tha' bastard gave m'First Mate skull pressure! He's gotta have a hole drilled in his head! An' go ta surgery ta stop internal bleeding from the beatin' Flint gave him!" I snarl and they throw me into a chair, barring me from getting up and at Flint. "He could die from his injuries!" I bellow and my implant was glowing blue from behind my hair.

"What's going on in here?!" Stakar yells as he comes in and sees me cuffed to a chair. Despite that, I was still trying to get at Flint and was acting downright animal-like.

"She said that her boy could die from the injuries Flint gave him," Aleta explains and was looking at him, hoping that wasn't true. "I'm sure she's just overreacting. Right?"

"No. Doc said so himself. If he can't figure out what's making him bleed and fix it, he'll die. And if he doesn't drill a hole in his head, he'll die. He can't do both at once and they both need his immediate attention. Doing them one at a time would probably kill him." I had calmed down slightly and was breathing heavily in the chair, head hung at this news. "Let her up and escort her back to med." Yondu uncuffs me and I launch myself at Flint, only managing to get caught by Martinex in the process. "Get her out of here!" Martinex, Yondu, K, and Charlie-27 all drag me out of the room and back to med.

They shove me into the room and shut the door behind them. I roar in anger and throw a cart not being used across the room, chest heaving. "Feel better?" Martinex looks at me and I just growl, going over to Kraglin, Doc, and Jay.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" I growl and Doc doesn't look at me.

"It won't help anymore... I did the surgery to find the source of the bleeding and stopped that but it was too late to do anything about his intracranial pressure... I tried but I don't think that he'll be waking up anytime soon... If ever... I'm sorry..." 

"You're sorry...?" They all look at me and I was tense, hands in fists and my implant glowing blue again. "My husband and First Mate might die and all you can say is... You're sorry?!" I bellow and he flinches. I come over and he quickly moves out of the way while I sit next to Jay, grabbing his jacket in my hands.

"Ya lissen ta me, alienboy... If ya die, Ah ain't never gonna fergive ya... An' Ah'll bring ya back jus' ta kill ya 'gain! So ya wake yer sorry ass up!" I yell and shake him until someone makes me let go of him. "You can't die, you selfish prick! I am not going to let the last words I said to you be I love you like with my damned sister and Mom!" I yell and jerk myself out of the hold of Yondu, starting to walk to the other side of the room, back to them.

"I kinda feel like an ass now..." I spin after two steps and see Jay sitting up with a sheepish smile on his face. He grunts when I suddenly hug him and he hugs me back. "Yeah, I'm an ass..." I let him go and narrow my eyes at him. "I might've asked Doc and Kraglin to lie to you about how I was..." He grimaces and I gape at him. "I know, I'm an ass... I'm sorry..."

"You fucking asshat!" I hit him in his arm so I don't hurt him more and he winces a bit before I grab his jacket, shaking him fiercely. "You fucking terrified me! I thought you were going to die! You're a damned asshole!" I yell as I stop shaking him and he wobbles a bit before I steady him, worried again. "You OK? Wait, I'm mad at you..." I growl and he chuckles at me. I growl and stand up. "I need to shoot something." He opens his mouth and shuts it again at the glare from me. "That's a good idea unless you want it to be you." I leave med and notice the other Captains standing outside.

"Is he OK?" Aleta asks and I nod, clearly pissed. "Why don't you look happy then?"

"Ask him when you go in to see him. I need to shoot something." I walk off and Aleta goes in. After a second, there's the sound of a resounding slap before she's following me and I look at her a bit.

"I'll show you where to go to shoot stuff." I nod and we go into a gun range to shoot stuff.

After a while, I'm calmed down and pile my hair on top of my head, revealing my implant, as I go back to med. Jay looks up at me and smiles sheepishly. "Cap-"

"Shut it." He shuts his mouth with an audible click and I go over to him, sitting next to him so I can look him over before looking at Doc. "How long until he's back to normal health?"

"A week." Doc shrugs a bit and I nod, looking at Jay.

"You're on bed rest for a week." He opens his mouth to argue and I growl, making him shut it again. "Because clearly you can't be trusted not to start trouble on your own, when we're back on the _Golden Opportunity_ , you will have two crewmembers watching over you in shifts. And they will be reporting back to me directly, so don't pull anymore stupid shit." I look at him and turn to look at Yondu. "Can I borrow Fang and Taz for a week?"

"Course, girl." I nod and look at Doc.

"Is it safe to take him back to my ship?"

"Yes, just be careful." I nod and stand. "He'll be able to walk with assistance." I nod again and help him stand, slinging one of his arms over my shoulder while I wrap an arm around his waist to support him.

"Ready?" He nods a bit and I help him back to _Winter._

I set him on the bed once there and make sure he'd stay stable before strapping in and piloting back to the _Golden Opportunity_. Stakar had finished the meeting with me and Aleta in the gun range and the rest of them in the first room. Everything made sense and Stakar had sent a crate of holopads with missions back with me. I dock in the hangar and help Jay off of the ship.

"Captain, let me help," Doc says and I move him out of the way a bit.

"I'm taking my First Mate to med, you make sure he isn't going to die. Fang and Taz from Captain Udonta's ship will be here soon and they will be helping you keep an eye on the First Mate." We were the only ones in the halls and Doc nods his understanding. I lay Jay in a bed and leave Doc to do his thing, needing to run a ship.

I check in with each of the heads and end up in the hangar, noticing Nora working with some kids already as I go over to them. "When you fix a ship, you don't want to rush through it. You want to take your time and make sure everything is fixed with it." She was holding up one of the smaller ones, Halfnut, so he could see the ship and I smile, watching. "With all of you helping me out, I should be able to give all of the ships a tune-up."

"I'll do my own," I say suddenly and everyone spins to look at me. "Nothing against your skills, Nora, I just like working on my ship myself. If I'm too busy doing something else, which will probably be often, I'm trusting you with its care." She nods and I nod back, looking at the kids. "Listen to her."

"OK, Captain."

"It's 'Aye', not 'OK'." Nora corrects softly and they nod.

"Aye, Captain!" They correct themselves and I smile slightly.

"Get back to work." I leave the hangar and go to make sure everything is running smoothly everywhere.


	9. Chapter 9

Fang and Taz arrive and stay in med with Jay. The rest of my crew from Stakar and I talk to the new crew members, walking as I do. "Welcome aboard the _Golden Opportunity_. You're all new to this, right?" They nod and I lead them to Tor's space. "Well, let's start with the leathers."

"Tor!" Tor hangs upside down from the ceiling to look at me and I motion for him to come down before he does. "This is the rest of the crew. Measure them for their leathers." He nods and does just that while I grab patches and sewing stuff.

"Captain, would you mind?" I go over and hold one side of the tape for him.

"Damn. You've got some long arms." I chuckle and the crewmate nods. "You're Jaz, right?" He nods and I nod back a bit. "How much did Stakar tell you? Whether it was about me or the code?"

"We understand the code and that you're our Captain." Another one, Vin, says and I nod a bit.

"Good." Tor finishes measuring the rest of them and starts to quickly work on their leathers. "Any of you good at this type of thing?"

"I am," Pan says and I look at Tor.

"Want some help?" He nods and motions Pan over to help him. I look them over and nod a bit. "Alright... It's coming together nicely..." I murmur to myself and clap my hands slightly. "Alright, once you have your leathers, find the group you're good with and get to work. Also, we have younger Ravagers and if any of you lay a finger on them, you'll be down an arm. We clear on that?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good." I grab the patches and sewing stuff again before sitting against the wall. Pan brings me a jacket over and then has one of the crewmates come over. "Alright, I'll get this started for you then you finish it up." He nods and I carefully start to sew the patch on partway before giving him the stuff to finish it up. "Name?"

"Pac." I nod and watch as he finishes sewing it on, slipping it on. "Thank you, Captain."

"Find your group." He nods and leaves to do that as another Ravager comes over with their jacket, handing it to me. "Name?" I start to sew the patch on and she watches me.

"Clover." I hand her the jacket and she finishes sewing it on. She slips it on and nods at me before leaving to find her group. Rin comes over with his jacket and I get the patch started before letting him finish. He slips it on before leaving and Vin comes over with his jacket. I start it and he finishes it before leaving. This continues until all of the crew has their patches on and I know their names. There was a Val, a Del, a Tex, and a Ser. I stand and bandage my fingers up again.

"You are not very good at sewing, Captain." Tor chuckles and I scoff a bit.

"I get more blood on the jacket than I get the thread in, so no, I'm not good at sewing." I adjust my jacket a bit and feel the ship suddenly jerk to a halt, hitting a button on my wrist com. "Riv, what the Hell happened?"

_"We have a couple of ships in our way and they won't move."_ I quickly go to controls and look at the ship, freezing. "Cap'n? What type of ships are those?"

"It's a Kree ship and a Skrull ship..." I look around the deep a bit and think as a transmission comes through, accepting it.

_"Hello there, 22-3-16."_

"Shakaroth. Glad to see you're still an asshat." He glares at me and I smirk.

_"This is not the Centaurian's ship."_

"Glad to see you aren't as dumb as you look, either. Now, here's what's gonna happen. I'm going to go past you and you're going to let me. If you don't... I blast both of your ships out of the realm of the living before you can even blink." I don't notice the rest of the crew, minus Jay, come in and I tap a few things on the console. "I'll give the two of you three seconds to get out of here. And I'm not gonna count down for you."

_"You do not order us around, Slave 22-3-16. We are your masters and are here to get you back as well as the other runaway slaves on board that ship."_

"I told you once you son of a bitch, I'm not a slave. But I am the one that's going to blast your sorry ass out of my fucking way." I growl and aim at his ship just as a warning pops up that we're being aimed at by the Skrull ship before the one piloting that ship joins the transmission. "I see that you still prefer my sister's face to your ugly one, Skrull." They sneer at me and I just smirk, leaning forward to look at both of them.

"Your sorry asses are going down and we're getting out of here." I end the transmission and sit in my chair, seeing the crew. "Hold onto the kids and something! It's going to be a bumpy ride!" I suddenly jerk the controls up right before the Skrulls fire at us and adjust the aim to them. "Lo! Blast their sorry asses!"

"Aye, Captain!" He runs over and shoots them down. I turn the ship and he shoots down the Skrull ship too.

"Make sure they're destroyed!" He does just that and I pilot us out of there, tense. I don't relax until we're through a jump and lean back in my chair a bit, rubbing my face before I get up to make sure everyone was OK.

"Why'd they call you a slave?" Scrote asks and I look at him.

"Because they're dumbasses." I look around at the crew and run a hand through my hair. "I don't care where you came from or what species you are. Onboard this ship, no one is a slave. If you were freed from the Kree or Skrulls, you're free and won't have to worry about them coming to drag you back into that life. If anybody gives another crewmate shit about being a freed slave, they'll be floating in the deep. We clear?"

"Yes, Captain." They all nod and I nod back, going to make sure Jay was OK. 

I go into med to see Fang and Taz teasing Jay and whistle sharply, my arrow flitting between the two of them. They jump back and look at me. "I told you to watch him, not give him a hard time," I growl and they look at the floor slightly as I walk over to check him over. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine. What happened with the ship?"

"Just blasted some asshats. Nothing you need to worry about." He nods and I leave, grabbing my arrow as I do. "As for you two, keep an eye on him and don't give him any more of a hard time."

"Aye, Captain Rogue." I leave med and go to check for some missions on the holopads from Stakar, sitting in my chair in controls.

An hour later, a transmission pops up and I click it, still focused on the holopad I was looking at. "Whatcha need?"

_"Well you looking up would be nice."_ I look up to see Dad and his crew looking at me and roll my eyes a bit.

"Whatcha want, old man?" I ask and glance down at the holopad now and then.

_"You gonna go to Terra?"_

"What for?" I scoff and look at him.

_"Dude, it's almost Christmas there!"_

"OK... And?"

_"Don't you want to celebrate on Terra with your crew and family? I already talked Yondu and Stakar into going. Come on! It'll be fun!"_

"You talked Yondu and Stakar into it? I'll believe that when it comes out of their mouths, Quill. Is that all that you wanted? If so, I've got stuff to do, like finding a mission for my crew." I start to end the transmission when Yondu and Stakar join and bring my hand back. "Yondu, Stakar. What can I do for you?"

_"You're a lot more polite to them than you are to me,_ _"_ Dad mutters and I roll my eyes slightly.

_"Quill told us about a holiday for families on Terra. All of the clans will be taking a break from missions to visit Terra and celebrate the holiday. There are no Skrulls or Kree anywhere near the galaxy, so it will be safe."_ Stakar says and I nod a bit.

"Sounds awesome!" I force a smile and Quill smiles brightly before ending the transmission with Stakar, leaving Yondu and I on it.

_"Ya a'right, girl?"_

"Course I am, Yondu. Can't wait to go to Terra and celebrate Christmas with my crew, family, and the other clans. You're bringing drinks, right?" He laughs and I smile a bit.

_"Course I am, girl! Yer gonna need 'em with yer Daddy bein' the way he is!"_

"Isn't that the truth?" I mutter and rub my eyes a bit. "When are we heading for Terra?"

_"Soon as possible. The other clans are finishin' up they own missions."_

"Alright... Well, I'll see you on Terra, Yondu." He nods and ends the transmission. I sit back in my seat and groan softly, hands over my face.

"Cap'n?" I move my hands to see Riv looking at me and sit up. "Are you alright?"

"Yup. I'm fine. Are you?" He nods and I nod back. "Alright, good. We're both fine. Now, we've gotta go to Terra. Get everything set up and ready."

"Aye, Cap'n." He goes to do that and I look through the holopad mission a bit more, sighing softly.

He comes back and I look at him. "We ready to go?" He nods and I nod back, starting to pilot towards Terra. "On we go to Terra, then..." I mutter and take us through a couple of jumps.

When I land on Terra, it was in a huge field in the middle of nowhere but close enough to my Mom's cabin and I make sure we're cloaked before escorting everyone off to meet the other Ravagers. I had my arm around Jay's waist with his arm over my shoulders and help him off of the ship. "Cap'n, I'm fine. The week's nearly over, today's the last day of my bed rest. I can walk on my own."

"Stop arguing." He shuts up and allows me to help him, shivering a bit. "Terra gets cold in the winter, Jay. And it snows." The younger crew was playing in the snow and I roll my eyes slightly. I let Jay go and give him my gloves, zipping my coat up. Tor had made the entire crew warmer clothes and gloves as well as a scarf for me. I wrap the scarf around my face and shove my hands in the pockets of my coat. "Who are we waiting for, Stakar?"

"Quill." I nod a bit and see Oblo trying to make a snowball, going over to him.

"It won't stay together!" He pouts and I crouch next to him, picking the snow up with my bare hands.

"You aren't packing it right. You've got to make sure you cup your hands and then it'll stay together until you throw it at someone. Watch." I show him and stand, throwing the snowball at Kraglin's head. He stumbles forward slightly and spins right after I shove my hands in my pockets.

"Who threw tha'?!" The kid's point at me and Kraglin smirks. "Oh, yer in fer it now, girl!" He grabs some snow himself, making a snowball, and throws it at me. I roll out of the way and it hits Stakar in the face, making everybody go silent and freeze. Kraglin stumbles over some apologies and gets beamed right in the face by Aleta's snowball.

"Oh boy..." I drag my spare gloves out of my pockets and yank them onto my hands. "Come on, guys! At least play fair!" I call and everyone looks at me before they all start to make their own snowballs. "Damnit..." I dive behind a tall snowbank and drag a couple of kids with me before they all launch the snowballs at the bank.

"Ya scared, girl?" Yondu laughs and I poke my head around the snowbank to beam him in the face with a snowball.

"How's that for scared, Gramps?!" I laugh and duck down in time to avoid getting hit in the face with a snowball.

"Oh, come on! How'd I miss the start of a snowball fight?" Dad yells and I smirk, getting the kids to make snowballs.

"On three... One... Two... Three!" We all beam him with the snowballs and he falls onto his ass. "You wanted to come here, old man! This is your reward!" He gapes at me and smirks.

"At least I don't look like a nerd with a scarf on!" I gasp in mock offense and he snickers as he makes a snowball. "You're going down, Rogue!"

"Like Hell I am!" I drag more of my crew over while he gets some of Yondu's crew on his side. "Alright, you guys bombard them with snowballs from the front. I'll sneak around with Nora and Vera to take them down from behind. Sound good?" They all nod and I nod back, starting to make snowballs with them. "Get some ammo made up so that we don't waste time later."

"C'mon, girl! Ya scared?" Yondu calls from Dad's side and I drag Kraglin onto my team.

"Hey!"

"You want to wipe Dad's smirk off of his face?" He thinks and nods with a smirk. "Then you're on my team." I make another snowball and hop up to throw it at Yondu, hitting Stakar. "Sorry, Pops! That was meant for Gramps!" I duck back down as snowballs get thrown at us and wait until there's silence. "Alright, Nora, Vera, and Krags, with me." They nod and I carefully lead them through some trees behind and around us, losing my scarf somewhere.

"Come on, Rogue! Stop being so scared and fight us!" Dad yells once we're behind him and throws a snowball at the snowbank. The four of us crouch down and make snowballs before beaming them at Dad's team. "An ambush?!" Dad spins to look behind him only to see nothing and turns back around. I smirk from behind a tree and we all make more snowballs before throwing them quickly at his team.

Dad comes into the trees and Kraglin and I pounce on him, knocking him into a snowbank. "How's this for fighting you, old man?" I smirk and he shoves Kraglin off of him to roll us out of the snowbank, pinning me to the ground.

"Whatcha gonna do now?" I notice all of them had snowballs aimed at the two of us and use him as a human shield when they throw them. "Well, I guess that's something." He chuckles and I shove him back into the snowbank, laughing. I get beamed in the back with snowballs and dive behind the snowbank with him. "Now what?"

"Now we kick their asses!" I start to quickly make snowballs and he helps. We then start throwing them at the others and a couple of people tackle us into the snowbank.

"Gotcha, Captain!" Kat laughs and I chuckle, throwing her into the snowbank too. "Eep!" She shrieks and I laugh. Mara knocks me back into the snowbank and all of the kids are suddenly piling on top of me to keep me in the snow.

"Alright, you little shits! Let me up!" I push at their heads and they let me up, giggling. Horuz was watching with a smile and I stand. "Horuz, you need to lighten up." I pat his shoulder and shove him into the snowbank gently. The kids pile onto him and cover him in snow.

"Hey! Come on! Let me up!" He was laughing and I smile, feeling my lungs constrict suddenly. I put the hood of my coat on and look around a bit to find the cabin, spotting it in the distance.

"Alright guys, let him up. Come on, it's time to go inside." The kids get off of him and I help Horuz up, noticing him shivering. "Where the Hell is your coat, boy?" He shrugs and I roll my eyes, taking mine off to give it to him as I unzip some of the pockets on the arms to extend them. "Put it on, now." He puts it on and looks at me. "Don't worry about me. The cabin's that way and will be unlocked. Get going." I point towards the cabin and he nods, starting to walk that way with the kids. Jay comes over and I lead the rest of them to the cabin, not minding the cold. The clans follow me and I'm glad I put my Ravager jacket on underneath my coat because the cabin was further away than I thought.

"You alright?" Jay asks and I nod, arms crossed over my chest to try to keep there warm. "You shouldn't have given him your jacket."

"I'm fine. Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do." We were a decent distance ahead of the others and I give him a sideways glare.

"Sorry... I'm just worried about you..."

"Don't be. I'm fine." There's suddenly a boom and smoke is coming from the cabin. "Damnit!" I run the rest of the way and around the back to see a Kree ship landed with blasters pointed at Horuz who had the kids behind him. I pull my blaster out and shoot some of them while stabbing the rest of them. One of them lands a good hit to my face and I whistle, sending my arrow through the skulls of the last few.

"Cap'n?"

"Get inside! Now!" I bark and open the back door before the kids all run inside with me right behind them, slamming the door and locking it up, tight. I go to the front and open the door to let the rest of the Ravagers in before slamming the door shut and locking it too. "Jay, stay down here with the kids. Dad, with me." They nod and Dad follows me upstairs. "Check all of the windows and make sure they're locked with the curtains closed." He nods and does half of the upstairs while I do the other half.

I go back downstairs and do the same with the windows down there, looking around a bit. "Why in the Hell did Mom need such a huge cabin for just her and two kids?" I mutter to myself and just shake my head, not going to dwell on that right now. I go over to Horuz and give him my blaster, setting him near the fireplace with the kids. "If another Kree comes through a door or window, point this at them and pull the trigger. Got it?" He nods and I nod back, going to look in the basement after taking Rocket's blaster.

"Hey!" I glare at him and he shuts up, letting me continue. I go down the stairs quietly and search the whole basement for any Kree. There are none but I do find some shotguns and other weapons. I grab as many as I can carry and take them upstairs, dumping them on the kitchen table. I start opening cabinets to find some food and find very little.

"Damnit..." I run a hand through my hair and take a deep breath, sending myself into a coughing fit. "Fucking shitty ass lungs..." I cough, not having anything to help me through it, and lean against the counter when it's over, turning the tap on. "Water still works... So that's good..." I rub my face and think before looking through some closets.

"Wha'cha lookin' fer?"

"Terran money. There's not enough food here and if we're going to be on Terra, we're going to eat Terran food." I find a safe and break into it easily after taking it to the living room to set it on the table, opening it. "Jesus Christ, Mom..." I take the money out and count it, setting it on the table for each hundred I find.

"Damn, that's a lot of money. And those are a lot of guns. What the Hell did your Mom need this stuff for?" Dad asks and I pause in counting to think.

"Kat's dad was an abusive asshat, I think... So probably for protection and in case, we had to make a quick getaway if he showed up..." I continue counting and set the last of the bills on the table. "That's about two thousand dollars in twenty-dollar bills. So we'd be able to buy some food and stuff. There are more weapons in the basement and the ammo should be there too." I pick the money up and think before standing to go to the garage.

"Where are you going?" Rocket follows me with Groot and I open the garage door, turning the light on. "What the Hell is that?" I look at the truck and whistle to make my arrow fly around the garage before having it go back in its holster.

"It's a truck. Terra doesn't have ships, we have vehicles like this or a car." I go over to the truck and look it over. "Toss me the keys, they're the shiny things next to you." He tosses me the keys and I catch them, unlocking the truck. I climb in and start it to see that it had nearly a full tank of gas before I turn it off again, getting out. I go back into the living room and pick up the cash. "Kraglin, you're with me to go to the store." He nods and I notice something in his hands.

"Found another one 'a those upstairs. It had more 'a tha' money innit. 'Bout the same amount." I nod and take it from him. "How we gonna git there?" I show him the keys and chuckle a bit.

"We're gonna take the truck in the garage and pray to all of the Gods that I don't get us both killed."

"Tha's comfortin'..." I lead him to the garage and get in the seat behind the round thing, leaning over to open the other door so he could climb in. He does and shuts the door, watching as I buckle in before he copies me carefully. Tor comes out and gives me a new scarf.

"Thanks, Tor." He nods and goes back inside. I start the truck and press a button on a remote before the large garage door opens behind us. "Nice." I look between the gaps in the round thing to see lights and letters and just guess. "R probably means backward... Right?" He shrugs and I put it in R, with a lot of difficulties, before pressing one of the pedals on the floor. Nothing happens and I try the other one before we go backward. "OK... That must be the one that makes it go..." I slowly press down on it and get out of the garage, getting a good distance away from it.

"So far so good..." I press the same button as earlier and look at the letters. "Let's see what D does..." I put it in D before slowly pressing down on the go pedal and we jerk forward. Kraglin reaches over and turns the wheel quickly so that we don't go through the garage door. We're facing the other way and I give him a thumbs-up before carefully piloting the truck to the nearest store while Kraglin puts the scarf on me.

We get to a store about thirty minutes later and I go into space with lines on either side of the truck. "Um..." I look at the letters and decide to just put it in P before turning the truck off, getting out with him. I give him some of the money and he holds onto it while we go inside the store. I grab a cart and push it a bit, making sure Kraglin stays close. "I'll read and you grab." He nods and I steer the cart towards some meat, pointing to what ones he should grab.

We go all over the store and get a lot of meat, eggs, bread, milk, hot chocolate, soda, popcorn, chips, cookies, cookie dough, sour cream, cheese, seasonings, grease, candy, tortilla shells, canned goods, noodles, spaghetti sauce, sugar, sweets, fruits, vegetables, and some cooking sets with knives, silverware, dish soap, and plates. We also get some sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, cots, chairs, and tables to make sure everyone had a place to sit and sleep plus some personal hygiene stuff as well as some stuff for presents. I steer the heavy cart to checkout and Kraglin puts some stuff on the thing so it gets to the cashier.

"Sweet baby Jesus... Are you having an army over for Christmas, ma'am?" The lady cashier asks and I shrug a bit as we continue putting stuff on the thing. She scans all of the stuff and puts them in bags. "Will you need help getting this to your vehicle?" I glance at Kraglin and he shrugs so I shrug too. "Alrighty then..." She continues to scan them and we keep loading stuff for her to scan.

Once the cart's empty, I go over to put the bags in the cart and am being very careful with the eggs and bread. A worker brings another cart over and helps me. Once everything's in the two carts, Kraglin and I each push one back to the truck. I lift the cover off of the back of the truck and start to put the bags in there with his help. He puts the cover back down and I put the carts with some other ones before we both get in, leaving with some difficulties.

When we finally get back to the cabin, I put the truck back in the garage and take some bags in. "Some of you help us with this crap." Stakar goes to grab some and I set the bags of eggs and bread down carefully on the counter. "Be careful with some of them!" They bring the bags in and I start putting the food where it needs to go with Dad's help.

"Alright, what are we going to eat?" Rocket asks and Groot looks at us. I dig around in the freezer and pull out some ground beef, looking for some taco seasoning.

"Tacos."

"What the Hell are tacos?"

"You'll find that out soon enough. Out." I pile my hair on top of my head and they leave while I think. "How the Hell do I make tacos again? Or anything for that matter?" I mutter to myself and grab a couple of skillets, putting them on the stove. I carefully turn it on and put some grease in the skillet before putting the ground beef in. "This is an easy meal... I think..." I grab a spoon and take my jacket off, putting it on the back of a chair, before smashing down the ground beef so it gets cooked fully. "It shouldn't be too hard... I got this..." I notice a stereo on the counter and turn that on just so that there's some type of noise.

"Ya said Mary Poppins was a he!" Yondu yells and I poke my head out the kitchen to see he had Dad pinned against a wall. "An' tha' he was cool!"

"Mary Poppins is cool!" Dad argues and sees me. "Right, Rogue?" Everybody turns to look at me and I roll my eyes.

"Don't drag me into this. Mary Poppins is a nanny with a talking umbrella that can make her fly. If you want to watch it, the TV and VHS player is right there. We only have VHS so deal with it." I go back to cooking and can hear them arguing still as the movie starts. "If you're going to watch the movie, don't talk through it!" I yell and hear Rocket laugh loudly. "That goes for you too, rat!" He stops laughing and I continue cooking.

By the time the movie was at its halfway point, I was done with the food and go out to pause the movie. "Hey!" Rocket yells and everyone looked pissed.

"Food's done and it'll get cold if you don't come to get some." I go back to the kitchen and get plates for everyone as the kids come in first. "Alright, these are tacos. You can put them on one of these shells and put cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and lettuce on them to make them taste better. You want all of the stuff on there and you just pick off what you don't like after trying some?" They nod and I do just that for all of them.

"Dad, did you get those tables set up?" I holler and Dad pokes his head into the room.

"I was supposed to set tables up?" I throw my hands in the air and direct the kids to sit at the kitchen table after moving the weapons.

"Dish food out!" I point to the stove and he quickly does as he's told while I go to set the tables up. "I swear, I can't leave him to do anything..." I mutter to myself as I cut open the boxes with the tables in them and dump them onto the floor. I crouch down and get them set up with some inventive swear words directed mainly at Dad as I kick the legs to be where they're supposed to be.

"Want some help?" I look up to see Jay watching me and just nod. He crouches down and helps me finish setting the tables up before setting them on their legs. "There." He smiles and I wipe my hands on my pants slightly.

"Uh, Rogue?" Dad calls carefully and I groan as I head back to the kitchen to see an entire pound of taco meat on the floor. "Heh... Sorry..." I rub my temples and take a deep breath so I don't kill him. "I'll, uh... I'll get out of here..." He starts to leave and I catch him by his arm.

"Clean that up." He nods and does so quickly while I make another two pounds of taco meat to make sure there was enough for everyone. I dish out two tacos for everybody and give them all of the fixings with the instructions to take off whatever they didn't want. Rocket runs through the kitchen and nearly trips me every time.

"Rocket! If you run through this kitchen one more time, I'm chaining you to the banister!" I yell and he doesn't run through the kitchen again. I finish dishing food out and make my tacos, using cheese and sour cream on mine. I lean against the counter as I eat and everyone seemed to enjoy the food.

"What'd you call these?" Rocket asks and I swallow my bite of food before answering.

"Tacos!" I eat quickly and start to do the dishes. Horuz comes over and tries to help me. "Like this." I show him how to rinse and where to put them once it's done. He nods and helps me by rinsing them. It takes a while but it would've taken longer if he hadn't come to help and we get it done.

"Girl, how do ya play this thing?" Yondu yells and I roll my eyes, drying my hands before giving Horuz the towel. He follows me into the living room and I play the movie once everyone was sitting down. I go back to the kitchen and look the weapons over to make sure they still worked before taking them back down to the basement.


	10. Chapter 10

I come back up to hear an argument and rub my temples. "These nutcases are going to be the death of me..." I mutter and try to sneak up the stairs.

"Rogue!" I curse and turn, going back down the stairs to see Martinex holding up Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. "What's this one about?"

"It's about a cat named Fred," I say sarcastically and he nods a bit. "I was being sarcastic! It's a Christmas movie, Sparkles..." He nods again and goes over to the VHS player since Mary Poppins was over.

"How do I work this?" I mutter some very inventive swears and go over, swapping the tapes quickly. "Ah, I see... I still don't get it."

"I need a drink..." Yondu holds up a bottle and I take it. "Thanks, Gramps." I plop on the couch next to him and open it before realizing we didn't have glasses. "Dad, get some glasses out of the cabinet above the stove." He goes to do that and I hear glass shattering a second later, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Don't worry! I've got it!" He yells and comes out with some glasses, giving me and Yondu one. I pour some for us and quickly down my glass, resting my head against the back of the couch. "Giving up already?" Dad teases and I look up at him, highly unamused.

"I am so tempted to hit you with one of the skillets I got today, but then I'd ruin a perfectly good skillet and I'm not trying to control that damned truck again. So leave me alone and let me sit here or I'll kick your head off of your shoulders." He just sits on the floor next to us and I put my head back again, closing my eyes to try to get rid of the headache I feel coming on.

"I forgot how big of dicks the reindeer are in this movie," Dad says after a while and I just nod a bit, muttering something in agreement. "Almost as bad as you and Rocket." I kick him in the side and he laughs. "What? No comeback?"

"No, I don't have a comeback, because my fucking head feels like it's exploding and your annoying ass voice ain't helping it." I stand and go upstairs to lay down in the master bedroom only to walk in on Kraglin and the lady crewmember who caught my bouquet making out. I quietly back out of the room and try another room only to walk in on more Ravager couples making out. I go back downstairs and go to the garage, getting in the truck to lay down for a little bit to get rid of the headache.

After a couple of hours, the headache's gone and I get out of the truck to go back inside to absolute chaos. The kids were running around like maniacs and no one could get them to stop. "HEY! SIT YOUR ASSES DOWN!" I bellow and the kids immediately sit down, Horuz panting softly from where he was chasing them. "What the Hell happened?"

"They found all of the sugary food..." Dad says carefully and I look at him, eyes narrowed.

"I had it on top of the fridge."

"Peter left the sugary items down where the children could reach and this happened," Gamora explains and I take a couple of deep breaths to keep from killing everyone.

"Know what? I'll fix this." Dad starts to move but freezes at the glare I give him and I run a hand through my hair, thinking.

"Kids, pick out a movie that looks like it would be fun to watch. Dad, sit down and don't move, at all." They do as I say and I go to the kitchen, getting some water.

"They found one!" I go back out and look at it a bit, seeing it was Frosty the Snowman. I put it in and have them all sit on the floor to watch it before going back to the kitchen, making a lot of popcorn.

"What are you making?" I turn my head slightly to see Martinex watching me and I pour the popcorn into some large bowls.

"Popcorn. You eat it when you watch movies. Can you help me carry it out to the living room?" He nods and helps me, grabbing a few bowls while I grab the others. I set a bowl among the kids and pass out the others to some groups of Ravagers.

"Hell is this?" Fang asks and I sit next to Yondu again, handing Dad and Gamora a bowl.

"Food. Enjoy. Don't choke." I eat some and notice the kids eating it absentmindedly as they watch the movie, very interested in it. Martinex sits on the floor by us after passing the bowls he had out and I offer him some of mine. He eats some and watches the movie.

"Why does mine taste sweet?" Dad wrinkles his nose and I swap our bowls out.

"I gave you my bowl. It's kettle corn, I like it better than normal popcorn." 

"SHH!" Brahl hisses and I roll my eyes, eating my popcorn. Yondu eats some and watches the movie.

"So tha' hat woke the snowthing up?" Kraglin asks and I shrug one shoulder.

"Basically. The hat's magic and brought the snowman to life. Kid's movies are freaky things..." I eat my popcorn and Kraglin comes over to take some from me, leaning over the back of the couch. "Dude, there's some more in the kitchen. Leave mine alone."

"Naw." He snickers and I hit him in the chest making him laugh.

"Jackass."

"Shorty." I throw a couple of pieces of popcorn at him and he snickers, messing my hair up. One of the kids throws popcorn at us and glares before going back to watching the movie.

"You're cleaning that up, Narblik." He nods and continues watching the movie. I eat my popcorn and watch the movie for lack of anything else to do.

"I am Groot!" Groot climbs into my lap and I give him some popcorn, which he eats happily. I pat his head gently and he watches the movie, eating popcorn with me. "I am Groot?"

"He wants to know if he can go play in the snow more." I look outside and see the sun setting, humming softly in thought.

"After the movie's over for a little bit." He smiles and goes back to watching the movie.

Once the movie's over, he climbs down from my lap and runs for the front door. "Whoa! Slow down, dude!" I set the bowl down and follow him, plucking him off the floor.

"I am Groot!"

"I don't know what you just said, but slow your roll." I grab my coat and scarf, putting them on. I wrap some of the excess scarf around him and cut it apart from the rest of the scarf. "You'd freeze and that's not fun." I go outside with him and set him on the front porch while I turn the porch light on, turning in time to see him jumping into a snowbank. "You've got to be kidding me..." I rub my face and sit on the porch steps, looking up at the stars.

"I am Groot!" I go over to the snowbank and feel my arm around for him. He latches on and I pull him out of the snowbank.

"You must be freezing." I put him in one of my gloves and hold his shivering figure close as I sit back down on the porch steps, leaning my head back to look at the stars. He does too and I hold him closer to try to warm him up.

"I am Groot!" He points to the stars and smiles at me.

"It's not space, but it's still pretty, huh?" He nods and goes back to stargazing. I smile a bit and stargaze with him until I start to shiver a bit.

"Alright, time to go inside, buddy." I stand and dust my pants off before going back inside to make hot chocolate.

"Wha'cha makin' now?" Yondu scoffs and I take my coat and scarf off, putting them over a chair.

"Something warm to drink." I go to the cabinet with Groot on my shoulder and grab the mixture. "This should be easy enough... Right?" I look at Groot and he nods. I start to make it on the stove and follow the instructions.

I suddenly knock the boiling pan of hot chocolate onto my body and arm. "Fucking shit! Son of a God damned cunt bucket! Damnit! Ouch!" I set Groot on the counter and peel my shirt off quickly. "That is not how I wanted to warm up! Fuck!" I hear people coming in and throw the shirt that way. "Stay the fuck out of the kitchen!" They don't come in and I quickly wipe my arm off. "Jay!"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Get me a clean shirt!"

"Aye, Captain." He comes in after a minute and hands it to me. I take it and pull it on quickly, getting an icepack out of the freezer for my arm. "You alright?" He asks softly and I nod, pressing the icepack to my arm.

"You alright, Groot?" He nods and looks at me. "I'm all good, little buddy." I look at the pan and pick it up, tossing it in the sink. "Well, that didn't work out." Jay rolls his eyes and I get out packets of hot chocolate to make me and Groot some, using the scarf to keep the ice pack on my arm.

"You should let Doc look at your arm."

"I'm fine." I make the hot chocolate and sit at the table with Groot to drink it. "You mind picking that shirt up and throwing it downstairs? That's where the washer and dryer are." Jay nods and does that for me.

"We going to get any more shirts thrown at us if we try to come in?" Dad calls and I roll my eyes.

"No, you won't." Dad, Yondu, Kraglin, Stakar, Aleta, Martinex, Doc, Gamora, and Rocket come in and I drink my hot chocolate slowly while Rocket comes over to sit by Groot. "I'm fine and don't need Doc to look at me."

"Well, that's too damned bad." Doc comes over and I roll my eyes, taking the scarf and icepack on so he can look at my arm. "Damn, that doesn't look good."

"Spilling boiling, hot chocolate on your arm won't make it look good, Dad." Doc applies a salve to my arm and it feels better instantly. He wraps it up and I drink my hot chocolate. "How's that taste, little buddy?" Groot smiles at me and drinks his happily.

"I am Groot!"

"He says it tastes amazing and thank you."

"No problem." Doc finishes up with my arm before leaving and I rest it on the table in front of me. Jay comes back in and leans against the wall.

"Got any more of that?" I nod towards the counter and Dad makes some mugs. He takes them out to the kids and comes back.

"You didn't break or spill anything?" He glares at me and I drink, smirking a bit. "You've been a clutz today, old man."

"Well, as you like to point out, I'm getting old." I roll my eyes and notice Yondu had a bottle of his favorite drink.

"What the Hell is that called again?"

"Rhone." I nod and drink. "Wha's tha' called?"

"Hot chocolate, Gramps." He nods and Dad sets mugs on the table. "Thank you for being helpful, Dad."

"Shut up." He rolls his eyes and leans against the counter as he drinks his. "This tastes worse than I remember."

"That's why there's extra chocolate behind you and why you follow the instructions." He rolls his eyes and adds more chocolate before drinking more. "That's also why there's some booze to put in it if you want to." He chokes on his drink and Gamora pats his back.

"I've never seen you so excited before," Dad says sarcastically once he's done coughing and I shrug, taking a drink. "Why aren't you more excited about being here?"

"I don't know. Terra's annoying. Terrans are annoying. The vehicles are confusing as Hell. I'm not interested in Christmas."

"Why not?" He gapes at me and I pinch the bridge of my nose, getting my headache back.

"I'm just not interested in this stupid holiday. All of the Christmases with my grandparents was mainly me getting sent to my room when the family came over because I was the freak of the family. And when I wasn't sent to my room, I was dragged into the kitchen to help make food for a huge group of people. Gimme that bottle." I take the Rhone and pour some into my hot chocolate, drinking it.

"Honestly, that sounds like a decent Christmas. Not having to deal with a bunch of idiots? It's perfect." Rocket smirks and I roll my eyes.

"Yes, absolutely perfect. Because I always had a distinct hatred for people from the day I was born and didn't want to interact with family members. Thank you, Rocket."

"Well, your family was always full of assholes." Dad shrugs and I roll my mug between my hands. 

"Well then... To all of them going straight to Hell where they belong for being such assholes." I mutter as I take a drink and Dad scoffs, also taking a drink. "Anyway, what is today?"

"Christmas Eve." I nod a bit and finish my drink. "And no worries, we got presents too."

"Woo hoo." I roll my eyes and put the mug in the sink before heading upstairs to do stuff. I grab the presents that I had bought and wrap them up carefully, putting their names on tape before putting the tape on the presents. They were mainly weapons and some music for Mantis, Stakar, Aleta, Martinex, Jay, Dad, Yondu, and Kraglin. I had also managed to find a picture of Dad's mom and put it in a frame, wrapping it carefully. And I got blaster boots for my new crew who didn't have any.

There's suddenly a crash from downstairs and I shove the wrapped presents under the bed before running down to see the kids fighting among each other. "I swear to all of the Gods, somebody is going to die by the time morning comes..." I mutter under my breath and go over to pull two kids apart. "What in the Hell is going on here?" The other kids freeze and look at where I was holding Mara, the oldest girl, and Horuz by their collars.

"Horuz said something stupid and Mara started beating him up!" Oblo supplies and I nod a bit, shoving both of them to be sitting down away from each other.

"What did you say Horuz?"

"That I was a better shot than her! And it's true!" I rub my face and tilt my head back to look at the ceiling.

"Gods, give me patience..." I mutter and start going to the back door. "Mara, Horuz! Come on!" I bark and they quickly follow me to the back door. I grab my coat and scarf. "Kraglin, give Horuz your blaster."

"Why?"

"We're settling a dispute. Give him your blaster." I grab empty glass bottles and Kraglin gives his blaster to Horuz. "Get your asses outside." They pull their coats on and go outside. I yank my coat on and take the bottles out, setting them on a pair of picnic tables in the back yard. "Dad! Turn the porch light on!" The light flicks on and I go over to Horuz and Mara, giving Mara my blaster.

"What are we doing, exactly?"

"The first one to blast their row of bottles is the better shot. Get to blasting." I lean against the porch railing and they start to blast the bottles.

They both get all of their bottles blasted at the same time and I nod. "Congratulations! You're both good shots! Now give Kraglin back his blaster and drop the fights! We clear?"

"Yes, Captain." Mara gives me back my blaster and Horuz gives Kraglin back his. 

"Get inside." They both go inside and I sigh softly, leaning against the railing as I stargaze again.

"Ya comin' in, girl?"

"Yeah, just a second." Kraglin nods and heads inside. I follow after a second and shed my coat and scarf, tossing them over a chair as I notice Kraglin wasn't in the kitchen. "Where's Krags?" Dad shrugs and I just sit in the chair I threw my coat over after grabbing a soda. I open it and take a drink.

_"Tha' feel good, baby? Ya want me ta eat ya out 'till yer shakin'?_ _"_ Kraglin's voice asks in my ear and I choke on my soda, spitting it across the table on Dad.

"Gross!" I wipe a hand across my mouth and press my ear.

"Kraglin!"

_"Wha'cha want, girl?"_

"Turn your fucking coms off! I don't want to hear that shit in my ear!" He doesn't respond and I shudder slightly, not wanting that mental image because it's weird.

"You OK?"

"NO! I'm mentally scarred for life." I shake my head a bit and Yondu slides me a drink which I quickly down. There's suddenly a scream and the Ravagers in the living room cheer for Kraglin.

"Tha' why ya scarred, girl?" Yondu smirks at me and I glare at him.

"I'm sorry that I find it weird to picture my Uncle having sex. It's like thinking about your parent's sex life. It's weird. They better not be in the master bedroom..." I rub my face and lean back in my chair.

"How else would you be here, Rogue?" Dad smirks and I throw my boot at him after yanking it off of my foot. "OW!" He rubs his head and I nod slightly.

"Now give me back my boot!" He glares at me and throws it out the back door. "Really mature!" He sticks his tongue out at me and I flip him off.

"You are both just large children." Gamora rolls her eyes and goes to get my boot. "Here is your boot back, Rogue."

"Thank you." I pull it back onto my foot and glare at Dad. "Alright, wise guy. Do you like thinking about Yondu's sex life?" He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. "Didn't think so."

Kraglin comes into the kitchen and doesn't look at me. "Pretend it never happened and move on?" He nods and I give him a thumbs-up, drinking my soda.

"Did you at least use protection?" Kraglin blushes slightly blue and hits Dad in the head.

"Hit him again." He does and Dad rubs his head, moving away from him. I hear something outside and look out the window, smirking. "Hey, Rocket, I found one of your cousins." He comes over and stands on the counter to look out the window, seeing a raccoon. He hits me in the head, hard, and I laugh, ducking away from another attempted hit to my head.

"Come on, Rocket. It's a cute little thing, digging around in the trash." He throws the rag I used for dishes at me and knocks me to the floor with a grunt. "Alright, alright. Calm down." I shove him off of me and stand easily. He looked pissed and I just give him a drink. "Sorry, alright?" He just nods and drinks it while I sit back down.

"You gonna send those kids to bed?" Dad asks after a while of drinking and talking and I look at the time, seeing it was already going on ten.

"Yeah." I go into the living room and see Horuz and Mara herding the kids up the stairs. Oblo sneaks around them and sits in front of the TV again. I go over to him and crouch in front of him. "I'm sure that one of the movies talked about Santa Claus. And that he only comes if kids are asleep. So if you want anything in the morning, you better get upstairs and to sleep." He nods and goes upstairs. "That was easy..."

"Do we gotta go to sleep?" Taz snickers and I look at him as I stand.

"Yes. Hopefully, Krampus will come and take you away to his palace." I go back to the kitchen and sit at the table, continuing the drinking and talking.

Everyone slowly heads to bed until Jay, Yondu, and I are the only ones left in the kitchen and Jay comes over to me, gently squeezing my shoulders. "I'm going to head to bed. Try to get some sleep tonight, alright?" I nod and pat his hand gently before he leaves. Yondu and I sit in silence and just drink.

"Ya a'right, girl?" I look at him to see him looking at me worriedly and smile at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Ya seem... Off." I shrug a bit and roll my glass between my hands. "Yer sure yer a'right?" I nod and he nods back, standing up. "Git some sleep, girl." He pats my shoulder and heads to bed. I grab the holopad out of my pocket and look through the missions since I haven't been able to sleep well lately.

After a while, I put the holopad back and carefully clean my blaster before setting it on the table, taking my arrow out. "I thought Yondu told you to get some sleep." I jump slightly and turn to see Stakar leaning in the doorway.

"Damnit, Stakar. Are you trying to kill me?" I hiss and he comes to sit across from me. "I just haven't been able to sleep well lately, alright?"

"For how long?"

"A few days..." I lie and he raises an eyebrow at me. "A while... About a month or so... Ever since the Kree..." I admit as I spin my arrow on my finger and he reaches over to stop me. "Doc's been giving me some Stims so I can keep control during the day... I just don't sleep a lot..." He nods and looks at me.

"Have you spoke to Jay about this? Yondu? Kraglin?"

"No..."

"Why not?"

"They were controlled by the Kree and Skrulls for years, Pops... They had me for, what? A day? Two days?"

"One and a half days. But none of them went through what you did. That would take a toll on anyone and they don't think they would've lasted as long as you did. Or fought as hard as you did. Talk to one of them. I suggest Yondu or Jay, they'll understand the mental and emotional trauma the Kree did to you." I nod a bit and he looks at me as he stands. "Try to get some sleep."

"I will..." He nods and leaves the kitchen. I fold my arms and rest my head on it, falling asleep after a little bit. It was about four in the morning.

_"22-3-16... Where are you? You were supposed to kill them! I'm very disappointed! I had such high hopes for you!" I run through the Kree slaver ship and keep running into dead ends, hearing Shakaroth following me with calm and deliberate steps. He snaps the whip on the floor now and then and I run to hide in a cell._

_"I do not like playing games, 22-3-16!" He walks past the cell and stops just in front of the door before coming in. I try to shrink further back into the shadows with no luck and he sees me, snapping the whip on the floor. "Come over here, 22-3-16." I shake my head and he hits me across the side with the whip._

I jerk awake and brush my sweaty hair out of my face with my fingers as the sun starts to rise outside, the kitchen empty. "It was just a dream..." I murmur to myself and quietly walk through the house, going upstairs. I bring all of the presents down and stick them under the tree Dad had decorated at some point with the kids. I go over to the fireplace that the milk and cookies were by and eat the cookies before drinking the milk, wanting to make it fun for the kids. And to freak Dad out.

I sit down in the kitchen and put my head down just as feet are stomping down the stairs and I can't tell if they belong to the kids or Dad. Or both. I close my eyes and someone comes in to shake me. "Cap'n! Wake up!" Oblo shakes me more and I gently shove him away as I sit up. "It's Christmas! And that Santa guy left presents! And ate the cookies! And drank the glass of milk!"

"Really?" He nods and pulls me to the living room where the other kids and Dad, of course, were waking up the Ravagers. Dad's crew, Yondu, Kraglin, Stakar, Aleta, Martinex, and Jay come down and glare at Dad. "He wake you guys up?" They nod and I roll my eyes slightly.

"Can we open presents now?" Retch asks and I smile slightly.

"Santa can't write in Xandarian, so me and Quill will have to pass them out. Once you get your presents, yes, you can open them." I look around and see Dad stomping on Ravagers fingers. "Dad! Get your sorry ass over here and help me pass out gifts! I swear, this is why you got coal!"

"How ya know wha' I got 'im?" Yondu smirks and I chuckle, going over to the tree as Dad comes over. We pass out the gifts to the kids and other crew members of the clans first.

"Awesome!" All of the kids say together at the blaster boots and I look at them.

"Do not put those on or use them in here."

"Aye, Cap'n!" The other crew members got weapons and they were happy with them. I toss Dad's crew their gifts and Dad tosses Jay, Martinex, and the Ogord's their gifts. I hand Yondu, Kraglin, and Dad their gifts, holding onto the one that was the picture of Dad's mom.

"Sweet! New tunes!" Dad smiles and the others roll their eyes. I hand him the other present and he looks at it before looking at me. "You seriously got me a present?"

"Yes, I got you a present. Just shut up and open it. Idiot." I sit against the wall and watch as he opens it. He gapes at the picture for a moment before he looks at me and starts to come over to me. "You try to hug me or some other sappy bullshit, I swear t-" He cuts me off by giving me a tight hug and I roll my eyes, patting his shoulder.

"Thanks, Rogue..."

"Yeah, yeah. Let go of me, you idiot." I shove him away by his head and he lets me go, looking at the picture of his mom. "I found it after looking up her obituary online... I'm glad you like it... Merry Christmas, old man." He chuckles and goes over to Gamora, showing her the picture.

"All of these presents were very nice of you, Rogue." I shrug and pile my hair on top of my head.

"Wasn't me, it was Santa Claus. Obviously." She nods, a small smirk on her face, and sits on the stairs with Dad. I stand and brush my hands on my pants. "Well... Time to make some food..." I mutter and go to the kitchen to start making food for Christmas, used to not having presents at this point in my life.


	11. Chapter 11

I get the two turkeys out of the fridge and put them in the oven before looking for recipes for other dishes, putting some music on so that I don't go crazy as I cook. Coop comes in and helps me. "This seems like a headache."

"Oh, trust me, it is. A huge one."

"Then why do it?"

"Good question..." I shrug a bit and we work on the food together. "It's just a tradition on my Mom's side of the family to make a lot of food because there's always been a lot of people. So, it makes sense to make a lot of food now cuz there are a shit ton of Ravagers here." He chuckles and nods his agreement. "It'll get done faster with you here, though. So thanks." 

"Not a problem, Captain. What does this recipe call for?" I tell him and he follows what I tell him to do.

By the time all the food is done, it's around noon and the kitchen was filled with a lot of containers full of turkey, ham, scalloped corn, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, pies, and cranberry sauce. "That was a lot of work." Coop chuckles and I just nod, my shirt somehow covered in flour from the corn and pies. "Will it at least be good?"

"It should be...?" I shrug slightly and he chuckles. "Well... Time to serve it out..." He helps me dish some of everything onto plates and people come in to get the plates from us. I hand Coop an empty plate once everyone else has been served and he hands me one too. He loads his plate with food and I put some on mine, not getting any green bean casserole because I can't stand the taste of it. I lean against the fridge and eat while Coop leans against the counter to eat.

"How long have you been a Ravager?" He asks suddenly and I take a bite of turkey.

"Since I was ten. Captain Udonta rescued me from a fire on Terra that the Skrulls set to try to lure me out so they could sell me into slavery."

"Why was he there?"

"Y'know, I'm not entirely sure about that. I'm just happy that he was there." He nods and I eat, looking at him. "What about you?"

"Hm... About twenty years. I joined when I was about your age and Captain Ogord put me with his cook on the _Starhawk_ until he recruited me for your ship." I nod and he eats. "Do you enjoy being the first Terran Captain?"

"I enjoy being a Captain. I don't care that much that I'm the first Terran Captain. That's just the cherry on top, I guess." He chuckles and we eat in silence from then on.

Yondu comes in with his empty plate and takes another piece of turkey to eat as he comes over to me. "Why don'cha come outside with me?" I nod, finishing most of my food, and pick my ham and turkey up with my fingers to go outside with him. He leans against the railing and I lean against the railing near him. "How ya been sleepin'?"

"Not great..." I take a bite of my food and can feel his eyes on me, shrugging a bit. "I'm fine, Gramps... Doc's been giving me Stims for keeping control while I'm awake..." He takes a bite of his turkey and raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yer still a shit liar when it comes ta me, girl. Wha's been keepin' ya up? How long ya been like tha'?"

"Since the Kree..." I pop the last bite of turkey in my mouth and see him motioning for me to explain more.

"C'mon, girl. I know there's more than tha'. Spit it out." I push off of the railing and sit on the steps with my back to the door, wiping my hands on my pants as he sits next to me.

"They had me for a day and a half. They had you, Jay, and the Skrulls had Krags for years."

"Yeah, but they didn' pull tha' shit on us. Ya had a hard time too, girl. Wha's been keepin' ya up?" I rub my face and sigh softly, sorting through my thoughts a bit.

"When I fall asleep, Shakaroth is there with that damned whip on that fucking ship... And I keep running into dead ends... I always end up in the same cell and wake up after he hits me in the side with the damned whip... And I swear that I can feel the pain from it when I wake up at first..." I rest my chin in my hand and Yondu pats my knee.

"'M gonna tell ya wha' I told yer Daddy, Krags, an' Jay when they was havin' nightmares like tha'. Ya jus' think me up an' hear me whistle m'arrow through tha' bastard. Ya think up anybody ya wanna think up an' think 'bout them killin' tha' bastard. A'right, girl?" I nod and he squeezes my knee gently. "Them bastards only had ya tha' long cuz we wasn' gonna let 'em have ya any longer than tha'. A'right?"

"Alright... Thanks, Gramps... Y'know, you and the Ogords showed me how a good Captain acts... I hope that I can be as good of a Captain as you three are."

"Girl, yer a'ready a good Cap'n. Yer makin' us proud. Krags an' Marty, too. 'Specially when ya beat the shit outta tha' Flint fer beatin' yer boy. An' girl, yer strong." He chuckles and I smile.

"Being pissed helped out. Besides, I was the only Terran on the ship and one of the youngest crew members. I had to get strong." He nods and I let my hair down, rubbing my hands together a bit since it was cold and I hadn't put my jacket, coat, or scarf on.

"A'right. Git inside, girl." I go inside with him and take the hot chocolate Dad gave me.

"Thanks. Suspiciously good timing..." He shrugs and I drink it, warming up slowly. "The kids finish eating?" He nods and I lean against the wall, drinking.

"How are you doing?" I glance at Yondu for a short moment and just shrug one shoulder.

"I'm not dead yet, so pretty good, in my opinion." He rolls his eyes and looks me over, noticing the bags under my eyes. "I'll be fine, Dad. Relax." I finish my hot chocolate and put the mug in the sink. Kraglin comes in and tosses something wrapped hastily to me after I turn around. I catch it after fumbling it for a moment and look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Open it." He leans against the doorway and I open the present, looking at it. "It's the newest model 'a tha' visor 'a yers. It goes on yer shoulder an' works like yer visor but ya don' hafta use yer hands ta use it. It's from me an' Cap'n." I put it on my left shoulder and notice a piece that goes behind my ear so I replace my visor piece with it. "Ya think 'bout wha'cha want it ta do an' it does it." He explains and I nod a bit.

"Try it out." I think about it activating and it pops up in front of my face, showing me the species of the people in the kitchen with me.

"Species indicator?" I raise an eyebrow at Kraglin and he shrugs one shoulder. "Smart. Won't get tricked by Skrulls again." He nods and I navigate through it. "Thanks, Krags, Gramps." They nod and I deactivate it, seeing Dad kinda frowning. "What's wrong, Dad?" He hands me a nicely wrapped present and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Just open it and shut up." He mutters and I open the box, seeing a couple of CDs with some new headphones and a CD Walkman. "I found them around the house and went to the store to buy the Walkman and the headphones... And Kraglin helped me equip the _Golden Opportunity_ and your M-ship with CD players..." He mutters and I smile a bit, closing the box.

"Thanks, old man. And my M-ship is called _Winter_."

"Yeah, whatever..." He shoves at my head and I chuckle, shoving his head back. "You like it?"

"I needed some new music and headphones." He smiles and pulls me close to mess my hair up. "Can't we ever just, y'know, brush this sappy shit out of the way?"

"Nope." I shove his arm off of my shoulders and fix my hair easily. "A few of the other Ravagers have some gifts for you too."

"Why?"

"Because you annoyed them so much that they started to like you?" Coop suggests and I snort while the other three laugh.

"That's probably exactly what happened, Coop. Thank you." I roll my eyes and go to the living room.

"Here you go, you asshat!" Fang yells and tosses me a present. "For your ships! Since you always seemed to be cleaning the ships in the hangar!" I flip him off and he laughs. Tor and the kids come over and they each had holopads in their hands.

"The young ones helped me make you some outfits, Captain. Segs told me what designs you enjoyed and we made them, with his help as well. In case you ever want to find yourself a man. They're in your quarters." He raises an eyebrow and I roll my eyes slightly, looking at the outfits on the holopads.

"These are beautiful. Thank you. Did you guys help with all of these?" They nod and I smile. "I think that I'll need to recruit more Xandarian kids, then. Because it seems like you guys do great work in Tor's space. Have you guys figured out who you want on your teams?" The leads nod and I nod back. "Good." Jay smiles at me from across the room and I open the gift from Fang. It was a ship cleaning kit and I roll my eyes.

"Thanks, Fang. Even though you're still an asshat. How'd you like your magnet gloves? Since you were always falling off of ships?"

"One time! I fell off of a ship one time! Because you flew up to me and scared the shit out of me!" I snicker and he flips me off.

"You have a very interesting friendship with your former crewmates," Drax says and I shrug a bit. "This is from me." He hands me a box and motions for me to open it. I carefully do and it was a knife cleaning and sharpening kit. "Now you will not have to pay others to clean and sharpen your blades."

"Thank you." He nods and Gamora hands me a wrapped tube.

"I think that you will enjoy this." She takes the other gifts from me and I open the tube, sliding the sword out of it. "You always did talk about swordfights since you were now a space pirate." I unsheath it and inspect it closely. "It is very sharp and can easily slice through an enemy's neck. You can never have too many weapons."

"True." I sheath it and loop it around my waist, putting it on my left side at her motion to do so.

"So you can draw it with ease." She explains and I nod, noticing Rocket and Groot come over.

"I am Groot!" He extends his arms to give me a blaster and a holster and I take it carefully.

"He says that it's about time you get a new blaster because you've had that same one since you were ten."

"Because it's a damn good blaster."

"You can barely pull the trigger anymore."

"Fair." I swap the holsters out and hold the old one in my hand, looking at Yondu. "You want this back?"

"Ta give ta who, girl? Naw, give it ta one 'a yer lil' 'uns on yer crew." I look between the kids before just giving it to Horuz and he looks at me in shock.

"You figure out who to give it to, pal." I pat his shoulder and he nods a bit. "Now, not that I don't appreciate them, please don't give me any more presents."

"Well, Captain, I have a couple of presents for you..." Jay says carefully and comes over, hands behind his back. I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously and he sticks one arm above us. "Terrans say you have to kiss under the mistletoe." He smirks and kisses me gently.

"You did too much research to find that. Or you talked to Dad too much." He chuckles and shows me his other hand. It had a rectangular box and he holds it out to me. I take it from him and open it, seeing a beautiful necklace and earring set that looked familiar. "Wow... This is... Wow..." He chuckles and I gently touch the jewelry.

"I found it upstairs... I'm guessing it belonged to your Momma..." He whispers to me and I nod a bit. "You like it?" I nod again and he smiles.

"I'm not going to wear it, though. I don't wear jewelry. Well..." I take the chain that had my wedding ring on it out of my shirt and he smiles. "Other than this."

"You should wear it on your finger! Show off that you're hitched!" Taz hollers and I roll my eyes, taking a deep breath before I say something in response.

"This is cheesy as Hell, but I wear it around my neck to A, keep it hidden from other people." Jay's face kinda falls at that and I wink at him slightly. "And B, to... Ugh... To keep it close to my heart."

"And I'm the one with the sentimental shit?" Dad laughs and I flip him off. "'To keep it close to my heart! Gods above, I love you!'" He teases and I pinch the bridge of my nose for a moment before looking at him. Yondu, Kraglin, Stakar, Aleta, Martinex, and Gamora all slap him in the head one after the other and he rubs his head. "Alright, alright! Damn!" Yondu slaps him one more time for good measure and he quickly sidesteps away from them. "Alright, I get it. I'll leave her be. Jesus." Groot goes over and Dad crouches down to be level with him. "Yeah, Groot?"

Groot hits him in the head too and I laugh, listening to Groot scold Dad through Rocket. "He says that you shouldn't tease Rogue and that you deserved all of those hits to the head."

"Gods, that's fucking hilarious..." I mutter as I get my laughter under control and Dad kinda glares at me. "You're getting told off by a talking tree. That's fucking funny, OK?" Groot smiles at me and I smile back. "Thanks, little buddy." He comes over and extends his arm to give me a high-five, which I gladly give him. Who can say no to his cute little face?

"You wanna go anywhere else before we leave, Captain?" Jay asks and I nod.

"You guys figure out what to do with any leftovers and I'll meet you at the ship. Jay, you take the presents back to my quarters." He nods and I grab my coat and scarf, putting them on before heading outside. I leave the boxes with Jay and walk through the trees towards the graveyard where Mom's buried, not noticing the Ogords and Martinex following me.

I go over to her grave and dust the snow off of it, kneeling in front of it carefully. "Hey, Momma... I know, it's been a while since I called you that... I just think that it works better than Mom for when I'm alone... Um, Jay told me that on Xandar, the planet he's from, they have these little flowers that glow when the soul of the person they're visiting is present... He bought me one and I brought it with when I found out we were coming here for Christmas..." I carefully pull it out of my pocket and carefully blow a breath onto it. Nothing happens and my shoulders droop.

"That's alright... I know that you're busy up there with Kat... I'll leave it here for you, though, cuz it's real pretty... And I think you would've liked it if you were still here..." I wipe my hands on my pants and just rest them on my thighs after a moment.

"I just wanted to come and visit you before we left... I kinda remember how much you loved Christmas... Kat did too... I'm sorry that she ain't laying next to you right now... But she got all burned up in that fire... And there's this thing running around with her face on... A lot has happened since the last time I visited... And it's only been a couple of months..." I chuckle and wrap my scarf around my face tighter.

"I became a Captain of my own ship and I got married to Jay... And I finally started saying 'I love you' again... I nearly killed Jay not long after we got married... He talked a Doc into lying to me about how he was doing and that he was gonna die... I'm still pretty pi-mad about that..." I look at the flower with my hands clenched in fists on my thighs and see that it was the same, nothing had changed.

"I guess you're pretty mad about me being the one to live again, huh? First the car crash with you, then the fire with Kat, grandma, and grandpa... I found all of your stashes... The money... The weapons... Was all of that because of Kat's Dad? Or was it because of grandma and grandpa, too? Momma... Please... I just... I just want you to know that I love you and that I miss you... And Kat... And that I'm sorry... Can't you spare five measly seconds just to hear that?!" The flower still doesn't change and I hang my head, feeling tears drip out of my eyes.

"OK, Momma... OK... I get it... I hope you enjoy the flower... I love and miss both of you... And... And if you see a, um... A Meredith Quill up there, just... Just tell her that her son is a real good Dad and an even better man... She should be proud of him... Bye, Momma..." I bow my head a bit more before standing up and dust off my pants, heading toward the ship as I wipe at the few tears that had escaped.

"You alright, Rogue?" Martinex asks as he and the Ogords fall into step next to and behind me.

"Damnit!" I jump and glare at him. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"That didn't answer my question."

"I'm fine... I didn't expect her to want to visit me anyway..." I mutter and make sure all of the tears are gone before we get to the field. "Let's just get off of this planet, alright?" They don't respond and I don't care, walking into the field with the ships. We each board our ships, making sure the crews are on board, and I pilot us off of Terra, glad to get off of the planet.

Once we're through a jump and in the deep, I leave the controls be to look through some mission holopads. The console beeps and I hit the button to answer the transmission. "Yes?"

_"How yer visit with yer Momma an' tha' flower go?"_ I look up to see Yondu and Kraglin on the screen and motion for everyone to get out of controls so I could talk to them in private.

"The flower didn't light up like it was supposed to if she were visiting. So, I've concluded that she doesn't want to visit me because I've caused the deaths of too many people in my family for her to care enough to come and visit me on Terra when she's in paradise with Kat. Oh, I did tell her to let Meredith Quill know that Dad's decent enough if she sees her." They nod and I look through the holopad some more. There's another beep and I hit the button, looking at the transmission that pops up.

_"Hello again, 22-3-16."_ Shakaroth smirks and I pinch the bridge of my nose, not in the mood for this right now.

"Shakaroth, go die in a hole. A deep hole. That you won't be able to crawl out of." I end the transmission with him and run a hand through my hair. "Wait a second..." I pull up the recent transmissions and see nothing from any Kree ships or unknown frequencies. "Great... Lovely... Amazing..."

_"Wha's wrong, girl?"_

"I'm hallucinating now. I need to get some damned sleep. I'll talk to you guys later." I end the transmission and have Jay come to controls.

"Yes, Captain?"

"You're in control for a few hours. I need to get some sleep so make sure I'm not disturbed by the crew." He nods and I go to my quarters, laying in bed to pass out.

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I wake to a lot of beeping and hit my wrist com on the nightstand to accept the video transmission as I sit up to look at least slightly presentable, putting my wrist com on my wrist. "Yes?"

_"Why is it so dark wherever you are?"_ I blink a few times and reach over to turn up the lights slowly.

"What do you want, Dad?" I yawn and run a hand through my hair.

_"Just wanted to check on you and make sure you didn't leave Jay in charge for too long. It's already been five hours."_ He looks at me and I rub my face a bit.

"Alright... Thanks for the literal wake up call... Anything else you need?"

_"Dad and Krags said that you said that you hallucinated Shakaroth?"_

"Yes, I did. I realized it was a hallucination after I remembered I had Lo blast his sorry ass out of the realm of the living and after checking the recent transmissions to see there were none from the Kree ships or any unknown frequencies." He nods a bit and I stand, stretching a bit.

_"Your quarters are a mess."_

"Really?" I groan and go over to the desk where the presents and clothes had been put, working on dealing with them. "I'm still working on getting everything right, OK?" He doesn't respond and I end the transmission, tidying up my quarters before going back out to controls.

"How are you feeling, Rogue?" Jay asks, the only one in controls, and I smile a bit.

"Better. Dad woke me up. It's been five hours?" He nods and I stretch a bit. "Good job with making sure I wasn't disturbed. Did anything happen while I was in there?"

"Nope. It was uneventful."

"Good." I go over to him and lean against the back of my chair. "Did the groups get sorted out?" He nods and I nod back. "Very good." I tuck my ring back into my shirt and he watches me closely, making me smirk slightly. He notices the smirk and looks away, blushing.

"Do you need anything else, Captain?"

"No, you're free to go." He nods and quickly leaves. I chuckle and sit in my chair, resting my ankle on my opposite knee. "Let's check that everything is working well." I tap a few things on the console and green screens pop up to show that everything is fine. "Lovely." I lean back and go through holopads for missions.


	12. Chapter 12

It's been a month-cycle, as Dad and Kraglin call it, and my crew's been on a few successful rescue missions for liberating slaves from the Kree and Skrull to recruit them on. I'm sitting in my Captain's chair after a successful mission while the crew is celebrating all over the ship and looking through another one on a holopad that we'd go on after a rest.

There's a series of beeps to alert me that I'm being invited to join a group transmission and I tap on the pop-up. Yondu, Kraglin, Stakar, Martinex, Dad, his crew, and an empty screen were waiting and I ignore the holopad for now, curious.

_"My apologies to disrupt whoever has those festivities going on, but this is a matter of great importance."_ Nova Prime says as she comes on and I am very tempted to end the transmission but instead press a button to shut the door to controls, drowning out the noise a bit better.

"What's this about, Nova Prime?" I ask as respectfully as possible and turn when the door opens, seeing Jay. He shuts the door again and comes to stand next to me.

_"Hello again, Captain Obfonteri Udonta. Mister Fletch."_

"Nova Prime, Ma'am." He nods slightly at her and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Would you mind getting to the point of this transmission, Nova Prime?"

_"Why? Does your crew need you to go back to drinking already?"_ She smirks and I clench my hand around the holopad, pissed at that. _"Moving onto more important things... I have contacted all of you because I am afraid that a common enemy believes it would be in their best interests to destroy Xandar. I have sources that say Mister Fletch and Mister Obfonteri have loved ones buried on Xandar along with some other members of your crews, mainly yours, Captain Obfonteri Udonta."_ The way she says Captain when it comes to me is like when you have a bad taste in your mouth that you want out but can't get out and I rest my ankle on my opposite knee, leaning forward slightly.

"And who is this common enemy, exactly? Because I have sources of my own that say if they hate you, they probably have a damned good reason to. But, who would, right? What with your dazzling personality and friendly attitude towards everyone. Oh, and how much the Nova Corps cares for the children on Xandar with no parents or families, who are freezing and starving. I can't imagine how anyone could be enemies with you or any part of Xandar, Nova Prime, Ma'am." She looks taken aback and the others are shocked into silence.

"Now, what can we do for you? Because I'm sure that all of us have better things to do than have you beat around the bush about what the Hell is about to go down."

_"What?"_ Damnit, I always forget about how they don't understand Terran phrases.

"Get to the point about what is about happen."

_"The Kree and Skrulls have been talking to each other about destroying Xandar soon. By the end of this week-cycle. Xandar would be indebted to you all if you could help protect it. Would you all help us? Again?"_ I glance at Dad to see him nodding already and the other First Mates were talking quietly with their Captains before they nod, just waiting for me to respond now. I tap a couple of things on the console to mute my part of the transmission and glance at Jay.

"Thoughts?"

"I don't want my Momma's grave destroyed... Xandar is a shitty planet, but it's where my Momma's at peace... What would you do if it was Terra?"

"Let it be blown to tiny pieces." He looks shocked and I shrug one shoulder, thinking for a moment. "No... I'd probably save that shithole... Damn morals... So, we're helping to save your shitty planet?" He nods and I nod back, unmuting my part of the transmission.

_"Well?"_

"We'll help."

_"Excellent! I am very glad to hear that I have your support. However, no other Ravagers may know about this. Captain Obfonteri Udonta, please stay on after the other Captains leave so that we may talk in private."_ I nod slightly and the others end their parts of the transmissions. _"Mister Fletch, please leave as well."_ Jay looks at me and I nod slightly before he leaves, shutting the door behind him.

"What do you need, Nova Prime?"

_"_ _I wanted to ensure that we had one thing clear. I did not want to have you know about this, either. However, Mister Quill would not allow me to say anything until you were invited. I was hoping that you would not join. I do not trust you and I would rather you not come near Xandar again. However, I can not bar you from landing on Xandar without good reason. Sadly, I have no good reason to do so."_ She says simply before ending the transmission for both of us and I grip the arms of my chair, pissed.

I stand and go to the mess to join in on the celebrations because it was a damned success. I drink with the crew old enough to do so and Jay and Riv stay sober in case we need to make a quick getaway for any reason. We celebrate into the early hours of the next day-cycle and I go to bed while Jay and Riv pilot to Xandar. I only wear a shirt and underwear to bed and toss my jacket and pants over my desk chair before falling asleep.

I wake a few hours later to pounding at my door and get out of bed, going down the stairs. I snatch my pants off of the chair and start to pull them on as the door opens. "Whoa!" They come in and shut the door behind them as I do my pants up, pulling my jacket on after. "Here, crew says you were partying until early this morning." I turn in time to catch the water bottle Rocket throws me and I open it, drinking it quickly.

"You need to not barge into my quarters." I set the empty bottle on the desk and reach over to turn the lights up slowly so that I don't hurt my eyes.

"You need to answer the door faster, then," Dad smirks and I flip him off, leaning against the desk to look at Dad, his crew, Yondu, Kraglin, Stakar, and Martinex.

"What do you guys want, anyway?" I run a hand through my hair to straighten it out and someone pounds on the door. I press a button on my desk and transmission of the outside of my door pops up to show Jay standing outside of it. I press another button and the door opens. "What's up, Jay?"

"Transmission from Nova Prime in controls, Captain."

"Great..." I push off of the desk and leave my quarters with the others behind me. "Are we cloaked and at Xandar?" He nods and I sit in my chair, looking at Nova Prime. "Yes, Nova Prime?"

_"I wanted to ensure that you did not manage to... How did Mister Quill put it?"_

_"Screw anything to Hell, Ma'am."_

_"Yes, thank you. That with anything. Have you arrived at Xandar?"_

"Yes, I have. And no need to worry about me fucking anything up. I take issues with the Kree and Skrulls seriously."

_"Yes, I remember. That is also the reason you got stabbed if I recall correctly."_ I clench my fist and just smile at her.

"And if I recall correctly, you got your ass handed to you by a power knocking device in the vents. Now, if you're done with whatever this is, what do you need from us?"

_"For all of you to be prepared for battle. My sources tell me the Kree and Skrulls are going to move their attack to today's day-cycle."_ I nod and press a couple of buttons on my console, making a gold tint appear on the window of controls.

"What the Hell is that?" I press a couple of more buttons and mute my part of the transmission.

"A new system I designed. It allows anyone in controls, or any part of the ship, to see any cloaked ships. There are your ships." I vaguely gesture towards them and they look. "Rocket and Nebula helped design and install it on this and all of the ships in the hangar. I can give you the system so you guys can have it on your ships too." They nod and I unmute my part of the transmission while Jay sends the system to their ships.

_"Are you all ready, then?"_ We nod and the other Captains and First Mates leave while Nova Prime ends the transmission.

"You guys going to go back to your ship or what?" I ask Dad and his crew and they leave while my crew comes in. "Lo, have your team on all of the weapons on the ship. Vera, have some of your team get on the ships and have some of Lo's team as your gunners. Kids, you're staying on board."

"Aye, Captain." They leave to do that and I lean back in my chair to keep an eye out for Kree and Skrull ships while the kids stand around me, not very happy.

When they show up, I alert the crew and the other ships carefully. We all open fire on the ships and manage to destroy them. But they also manage to destroy some of the M-ships and the larger ships have to land with the _Milano_ before we get destroyed too. I take count of the kids and notice two are missing.

"Where are Horuz and Oblo?" I look around and get off of the ship after checking the hangar. All but the _Winter_ were docked and I see all but one ship land. I take count of all of the crew and Horuz and Oblo were the only two missing crewmembers. "Damnit..." I go back into the hangar and pull up the information that shows what ship left and the codes of the people who were on it. The _Atlas_ pops up and Horuz and Oblo's codes pop up next to it. I go back outside and look towards the sky, silently praying that they'd land soon.

"Wha's wrong, girl?" Kraglin asks, after about five minutes, and I squint slightly at the sky before leaning against a nearby tree, sliding into a sitting position with a sigh.

"Horuz and Oblo took the _Atlas_ and they haven't landed yet... If they land, I'm going to kill them for disobeying my direct order to stay on board... Or they'll wish they were dead..." I mutter and he sits next to me, leaning against a boulder. 

"Ya should go back up there an' look fer 'em." I look at him and nod, standing up.

"You're right." I go back into the hangar and board the _Winter_ before piloting it out of the hangar carefully.

_"Captain, what are you doing?"_ Jay asks over my wrist com and I press my ear slightly.

"Horuz and Oblo are missing. I'm trying to find them." I look around and see the ship, not moving as I pilot towards it. I see a huge hole in the side and my heart constricts when I see them floating lifelessly in the deep from the hole. "DAMNIT!" I hit the chair and press some buttons to bring them aboard before I press my wrist com to connect with Jay over a video transmission.

_"Yes, Captain?"_

"Get the _Golden Opportunity_ ready for taking off. I'll be docking shortly." I end the transmission and get the kids into the bunk before piloting back into the hangar. I get off of the _Winter_ and get off of the _Golden Opportunity_ to see the crew wasn't getting on board.

"Get your asses on board! NOW!" I bellow and they all scramble to do so while I look at the others and Jay. "I found Horuz and Oblo. The ship they were using must've gotten caught in the crossfire or they got hit by one of the Kree or Skrulls blasts. The ship had a hole in it and they were both floating in the deep. They were out there for too long and are dead, unable to be saved. I already tried. I've never been around a Ravager funeral, will one of you help me?" Stakar and Martinex nod and I lead them on board.

"Where are they?" One of them sends a message to someone and follows me.

"My M-ship." They nod and go on to get them. I wait and they carry the two of them off of the ship before following me.

"Tor has rest beds ready for them at the funeral room," Stakar tells me where to go and I lead them there. The whole crew was there and we had taken off at some point. They lay the boys on the rest beds and the other kids lay some things with them.

"Can... Can we speak to them?" Narblik asks carefully and I nod silently along with Stakar and Martinex. He steps forward a tiny bit and looks at them. "You guys were jerks... A lot of the time... But you were like brothers to us... You were a couple of really good brothers..." He looks at me and I raise an eyebrow at him slightly. "Are you going to say anything, Captain?" All of them look at me and I push myself off of the wall I was leaning against to step closer.

"Both of you were a couple of shitheads. Major shitheads. But you were good Ravagers and a good part of my crew. Rest easy in the stars and we'll see you both there." I step backward toward the wall and the kids suddenly stand tall, giving them the Ravager Salute. Stakar pushes their rest beds into the chamber where they turn into brightly colored dust and, while everyone's backs are to me, I give the boys a final Ravager Salute before quickly wiping a sudden tear away, taking back control of my emotions quickly.

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I let the crew mourn for a week-cycle and then get us working missions. Every single one that the kids go on always brings one of them back dead and by the end of five month-cycles, we're sending the last two kids and another Xandarian into the stars, Kat, Mara, and Jay. I land us on Contraxia and the whole crew goes to different bars to drink or brothels to get the losses out of their minds that way. I go to a bar by myself and get two bottles of Rhone for myself, leaving the bar to drink outside.

"Hey! Look who it is! The Captain of the Xandarian Orphan Killer Crew! How's your First Mate doing?! Oh, wait! He's dead too!" Someone yells as I walk toward the door and throws a glass at my head. It shatters and drenches it in whatever they were drinking. "Oh! I'm sorry!" They come over and look at me. It was a group of Aakons and they each spit on me. "To help you clean up, kid killer." The head one snarls and walks out. I yank the bottle open and take a swig before whistling.

They all fall to the snowy ground with screams just as Stakar and Yondu land next to my ship and I walk over as they quickly get off of their ships with their First Mates, while I'm drinking straight from one of the bottles of Rhone. "You wanna call me a damned kid killer?! Call my crew the Xandarian Orphan Killer Crew?! You ain't even clever or bright enough to come up with any good insults to throw at me! And you want to fucking spit on me?!" I whistle sharply and my arrow cuts them as they try to crawl away.

Yondu grabs my arrow before I can whistle anymore and the Aakons take advantage of that to tuck tail and run. "Run like the bunch of yellow-bellied cowards you are! Fucking asshats!" I yell after them and just whistle my arrow back to my holster as I turn on my heel to find a quiet place to drink enough that my sorrows drown.

"Girl!" Yondu barks and I ignore him, drinking as I walk. "Ya better fuckin' stop walkin' away from me, girl!"

"Or what?! You're gonna eat me?! Go right ahead!" I yell over my shoulder and continue walking. Yondu whistles and I spin to slice my sword through his arrow, but he whistles quickly so that I barely miss it with the tip of my sword. I was barely managing to keep control of my emotions and sheath the sword before picking up the bottle I dropped in a snowbank, continuing away from them.

"Wha's the matter with ya, girl?! Ya lissen ta Cap'n!" Kraglin yells and I flip him off as I turn a corner followed by more corners until I'm in an abandoned part of the planet. I activate my blaster boots and land on a roof. I drink through the two bottles quickly and finally let the tears fall, clutching the ring close to my chest as I sit against the edge of the roof.

"Gods..." I let out a sob and look at the sky, standing. "Why'd you take him?! Huh?! Was I not good enough for you?! Did you do it just to make me suffer more?!" I yell at the sky and fling an empty bottle towards it, watching as it falls onto the street. "Give him back! I don't give a damn what it takes! You assholes better give him back! I'm owed that much! I deserve that much!" I sink to my knees and hang my head, sobbing.

"He deserved better than to die like that... And he deserved better than me, damn you..." 

"Rogue?! Rogue, where are you?!" I hear someone calling and try to get control of myself, wiping at my face.

"Girl! Where are ya?!" 

"C'mon, girl! Jay wouldn't 'a wanted ya ta be like this!" I sob at that, a hand over my mouth, and all sound around me stops before there's a whistle and Yondu's arrow is flitting around the roofs.

"Tha' one, boy!" Someone lands next to me and crouches, touching my shoulder gently. I look up to see Dad there and he makes me stand up before taking me back down to the solid ground.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?!" He growls and I snap, slapping him across the face, hard. There's silence around us and he looks at me in shock.

"You don't get to ask what's wrong with me! I've had the shittiest five month-cycles of my life! I've lost a good bit of my crew! I've lost my First Mate! I lost my fucking husband today! Because somebody keeps tipping off Kree where we are for our missions! They killed all of the Xandarians on my crew! I had to watch them kill Jay so I could save the rest of my crew! Because that's what he wanted me to do! I didn't even get to go back for his body! I barely got Kat and Mara's body off of that planet! So you don't get to stand here and act like you're high and mighty! You don't get to stand here and demand to know what's wrong with me!" I press my hand to my chest and freeze, feeling the ring gone.

"No... No, no, no... Come on... Not that too..." I look around a bit and bury my hand in my hair as I sit against a building. "Damnit!" I hit the wall behind me and just can't anymore. I wrap my arms around my legs and bury my face in my knees, sobbing. "Damnit... Damnit all to fucking Hell..." They don't know what to do and just watch me for a minute.

Drax comes over and notices, asking Dad what happened. "Jay was killed today..." Drax comes over and sits next to me, gently laying a hand on my shoulder.

"It will be alright, Rogue. Yes, it hurts now and it will continue to hurt, but it will become more bearable as time goes on. It always hurts to lose the one you love. Your wife or your husband. It will hurt until the day you die."

"Please stop..." He stops talking and just sits next to me, hand still on my shoulder. I take a few shaky breaths and lift my head, wiping at my face quickly.

"It will stop feeling like you are dying, Rogue. Just not now."

"Drax... Buddy... Not helping..." I say softly and he nods, shutting up. "I need another drink..." I stand and they all look at me. "I'm getting another drink... And if anybody else says any bullshit, I'm not going to hesitate to hurt them..."

"You'll have to deal with it, Rogue. People talk shit, it's a way of life." Dad says and I don't respond, walking towards a bar. "Hey! You can't just drink until you drown!"

"Fucking watch me, Quill!" I shove my way through a door and buy another five bottles of Rhone, taking them outside.

"Hey!" I turn and get punched hard enough I go sailing out the door, grunting. "That was for my girl! She was just a little one! And you took her onto your crew!" The guy growls at me and I can tell he's a Xandarian as I stand, spitting blood onto the ground. "People tell me you called her Kat! And that she died today!" I set the bottles down and look at the guy as he comes over, grabbing me by the collar. "Well?!" He shoves a picture of Kat into my face and I keep control of my emotions. Plus the fact that I didn't have any tears left to cry helps.

"I did call her Kat. And she did die today."

"You killed her!" He throws me and I hit a tree, grunting. "She was safe on Xandar!"

"You didn't seem to care about her when she was starving! Or when she was freezing! Where were you then, huh?" Riv yells as he and the rest of the crew come over and stand between me and the guy as I carefully stand up. "Well?" He growls and the guy swings at him. Riv moves faster than him and has a punch to his gut in quickly, making him fall to his knees.

"You leave my Captain alone. She didn't do anything wrong other than trying to save those kids from the slow death that was coming from starvation and freezing to death!" He punches the guy to the ground and I come over, making them move. "Captain? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I crouch next to the guy but not close enough that he could hit me and he looks at me. "I'm sorry about your daughter... I truly am... I tried my best to save her... So did doctors... But it was too late... I'm truly and deeply sorry for your loss... Get up and leave me and my crew alone... We've had a rough time for the past month-cycles... Tell any of the other parents that I'm truly sorry for their losses and I wish they hadn't died... They were good kids..." I say softly enough only he could hear me and he nods, standing carefully before scurrying off towards more Xandarians.

Fang comes over and I stand. "This should be fun..." He stands in front of me and I look at him. "Fang... I'm guessing you heard about Jay..."

"Don't say his name."

"Alright... I'm guessing you heard about your son, then..." He looks at me and was pissed.

"You left him there. How could you?"

"Fang... You know how he was... He would rather die than see his crew or loved ones get hurt..."

"Yeah, and it seems like a lot of Xandarians are pissed at you. I'm included in it. You left my son, your First Mate, your _husband_ to die at the hands of the Kree! You don't deserve those Captain flames!" He spits on my flames before spitting in my face and walks away. I wipe the spit off of my flames and face and go over to pick up the bottles of Rhone.

"Cap'n, we should leave," Lo says and I shake my head. "Why?"

"That's what they want us to do... I'm not giving them the satisfaction of our departure until we celebrate our lost crewmembers' lives. Are we clear?" They nod and I go to a group of tables for us while they follow me. "Any of you got glasses?" Vera and Nora pass some out and I pour them drinks as Yondu, Stakar, Kraglin, Martinex, Dad, and his group sit next to us. I hand them two bottles and leave two for my crew while I nurse a bottle of my own.

"Rogue, that's your third bottle. Don't you think you should slow down?"

"Don't you think you should mind your own damned business, Quill?" He doesn't respond and I take a swig from the bottle, leaning back in my chair a bit.

"How are you doing, Rogue?"

"I'm doing peachy keen." That gets me weird looks and I roll my eyes. "I'm doing great. No more dead inside than what I was when you idiots picked me up on Terra."

"How is one dead inside?" Drax whispers and I notice Groot was on my table, looking at me.

"I ain't givin' ya none 'a m'Rhone, twig." He looks slightly surprised at the name and I drink, watching him. "Wha'cha want, anyway?" He hands me my ring on the chain and I take it, holding it in my palm for a moment before I put it on. He sits on the edge of the table and I just pat his head awkwardly, not sure what to say.

"Are you sure Jay's even dead?" Dad asks suddenly and I look at him.

"What else would the Kree do with him? Huh? T-" The memory of the Kree not killing him but rather dragging him aboard a ship with cages and chains flashes before my eyes and I slam the bottle onto the table as I unconsciously move Groot to my shoulder, making it shatter which in turn makes everyone jump.

"What's wrong, Captain?" Nebula asks and Gamora looks slightly surprised but instead focuses on me, also curious.

"Which one of you have been tipping Kree off on where we'd be for missions?" I ask in an eerily calm voice as I stand up and look at all of them. Pac was shaking slightly and I whistle, my arrow suddenly pinning him to the table through his hand. "Pac, if you want to die quickly, you're going to tell me the fucking truth. And you're going tell me it right fucking now. Was it you?"

"Y-Yes, Cap'n..." He whimpers and I grab his hand, stabbing my knife through it to pin it there too before stabbing my other knife through his other hand so I could have my arrow free to press against his throat. Any screams die on his lips and he can't get any noise out due to fear.

"Why?"

"Th-They got my family... And said they was gonna kill 'em... 'M sorry, Cap'n..."

"Oh, you're gonna be sorry. If I find out that they got him back to their homeworld before we could intercept them and he's hurt, you're gonna be begging me to kill you. Lo!" I bark and take my knives back, letting him fall to the ground.

"Yes, Cap'n?"

"Throw this piece of shit in the brig."

"Aye, Cap'n." He ties his hands behind his back before dragging him to the brig and Pac was begging.

"He'll be more cooperative if he's not awake! And a Hell of a lot quieter!" He knocks him out and I clean my knives off before sliding them into my holsters.

"If they got him to their homeworld, we won't be able to get him back easily," Stakar says and I look at him.

"Who said anything about a 'we'? I'm getting my boy back. I don't give a damn where they are. I'm getting him back."

"We're with you, Captain." Riv and Vera stand and so does the rest of my crew. "We need our First Mate back."

"I didn't say that we weren't going to help. Just that it wasn't going to be easy. We need to call a meeting with all of the Clans." Stakar stands and so do the others, except for Rocket and Groot.

"Well, if you're going to go on a suicide mission, we're gonna be there to back you up." Rocket stands and Groot carefully follows suit on my shoulder.

"Well then... Let's fucking do this, lads and lasses." 


	13. Chapter 13

We had all left Contraxia and were now at that meeting ship, the Captains and First Mates only still. I was obviously on my own and go into the room with the other First Mates after all of the other Captains were in the meeting room.

"Oh? No Xandarian First Mate, this time?" Flint mocks and I glare at him. "That's right... He's either dead or on the Kree's homeworld... How's that feel to know you weren't able to save him?" I whistle sharply and my arrow is hovering dangerously close to his eye as the door opens to the meeting room.

"Rogue. Leave him be and get in here so we can come up with a plan." Aleta says and I whistle my arrow back to me after slicing his cheek with it, spinning on my heel to go into the meeting room with Aleta, my jacket kicking up slightly. Dad and his crew were standing off to the side and I ignore them for the time being.

"What's this about?" Mainframe asks and I walk over to my seat across from Yondu, grabbing the back of it instead of sitting down.

"I had a treasonous rat on my crew that kept tipping Kree off on where we'd be for missions. That got all of the Xandarian kids I recruited killed and Jay captured."

"How long ago?"

"Today. 1200 to 1300."

"It's going towards 1830, Girl! If they have him, they're back on their homeworld! We won't be able to get him back!" Barkley says and I glare at him, making him shut up.

"If you don't want to help me, that's fine. I'm here to come up with a plan for those who do want to help me. I am not allowing the Kree to cause my husband and First Mate to revert to whatever he was like before Yondu and Stakar liberated him from them. If you aren't going to help me, then leave now. I don't have any more time to waste on you." No one moves and they all look at me while I look back at them.

"Good. Who's been to those bastards' homeworld?" Yondu nods and I nod back. "Think you can draw up a basic map of the terrain and such?" Mainframe taps a few things on her wrists and a large hologram of the planet pops up. "Hala? Alright. Is this recent?" She nods and I swipe at it, just moving the chair out of the way a bit.

_"What are you thinking?"_ K asks and I glance at him before looking back at the holographic image of Hala.

"That thing you do with us," I motion at my head and he raises an eyebrow. "Does that mean you'll be able to Jedi mind trick some bastards?" They all look confused and I look at Dad for him to explain, not in the mood to.

"Will you be able to get into their heads and have them do other things with you in their head controlling them?"

_"I do not believe so... However, I can send them through a portal to get rid of them that way."_ I nod a bit and look at the buildings on the planet. Mainframe focuses on them and I glance at her slightly in thanks before continuing to study the buildings.

"Do you have any more information on the buildings?" Gamora asks and Mainframe nods, another holographic image of the buildings popping up. It showed off anything inside of it and how the layout looked. "Will this be helpful?" Gamora looks at me and I nod slightly, tapping my middle fingers against the table as I think. 

"What's the plan, nutcase?" Rocket asks and I look at him, standing up straight.

"Rocket, you'll be in the vents. Use the gas bombs on any guards you see. Any of them that don't fall like a tree... K, you use your portal and send them far in the deep or into a solar star. I personally like the second option, but you send them wherever the Hell you want to send them."

"You and I both know that's a shitty plan." I glare at Rocket and he crosses his arms. "Your plans are better than that. Try again."

"Rocket, my offer to make you roadkill still stands after all these years. Don't test me, rat."

"Then come up with a good plan!" I throw my knife at him and his face gets cut before it imbeds itself in the wall behind his head.

"We don't have time for you to be fucking arguing with me about the damned plan, rat! I'm fucking trying to come with a good one! Do you have any damned suggestions?!"

"Yeah, kill all of them."

"Kree will be on top of us before we can even get back on our ships. Try again."

"We hack their systems and shut off all power to their sorry asses like we did to the Nova Corps," Dad suggests and I look at him.

"How long will the power stay off? How long will it take to hack their systems?" Aleta asks and he nods a bit. "Her plan is the most plausible so far but it does need work. Rocket will not be able to fit inside of the vents, they are too small. And any Kree that are sent elsewhere will raise the alarm on us." Rocket smirks and I glare at him, running a hand through my hair as I try to think.

"I need to talk to Kraglin..." I leave the room and grab Kraglin before leaving that room to talk to him in private.

"Wha's the matter with ya, girl?"

"I need you to hit me."

"Wha?!"

"Shh! I need you to hit me."

"Why?!" He hisses and I glare at him. "Oh, Gods..." He rolls his eyes and hits me in the head. "Tha' help?" I try to think of a plan but all I can see is Jay getting dragged aboard that damned ship and shake my head.

"Hit me in the back with the handle of your knife."

"No!"

"Krags, please... I can't fucking think straight and I need some damned help..." He sighs and looks towards the other rooms before hitting me in the back with the handle of his knife.

"Wha' 'bout now?" I try to think again and can think clearly now, nodding. "Good. Ya a'right?" I nod and go back into the room, patting his shoulder.

"Thanks, Krags."

"Yer welcome, girl." He sits back down to Martinex and shakes his head at him as I go back into the room with the rest of the Captains.

"Got a better plan now?" My knife was waiting for me on the table in front of my chair and I nod, taking it to put back in my holster. "You gonna share it?"

"We use the vents to transmit the gas throughout the buildings. They don't share vent systems with the cells because each vent of each cell is connected to an outside vent opening." I point to them on the layout of the buildings and Rocket nods a bit. "Track the vent system to the outsides and... There are two that we stick the gas into to transmit it throughout the building. Any guard or noble ass or whatever the fuck they want to call themselves will be knocked the fuck out. We tie their sorry asses up so they can't go anywhere when they wake up."

"And any slaves we find?"

"We free them. K, you use your portals to send them to med on my ship so that they can get treated for any injuries. I'll let you know when I have Jay and you do the same for me, but into my quarters. If you find Pac's family, send them to med on my ship too. I'll talk to them myself."

"What about the other buildings?" I look at the other buildings and notice they have similar layouts.

"The same thing. The vents are in different spots so everyone will choose which building they want to hit. I'll make sure you each get enough gas for them and we'll give the Kree some fucking Hell." I look at Rocket and he looks at me. "Anything against this plan?"

"Nope. A whole Hell of a lot better than your first one, that's for sure." I roll my eyes and pile my hair on top of my head for the time being. "Groot and I'll take this one." He points to one of the smaller buildings and I look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Groot wants to take that one." I nod a bit and look at the buildings.

_"Which one do you think Jay is on?"_ K asks and I point to the biggest and smallest ones. _"Why do you think one of those two?"_

"Tha' big 'un is a Kree battle arena. Tha's wha' Jay was 'fore we saved 'im. Tha' small 'un is one cell tha' Kree uses ta beat the slaves inta they's ideal battle slave." Yondu explains and K nods his understanding while I think, staring at the small one. "Wha'cha thinkin' 'bout, girl?"

He knocks on the table after a moment of silence and I blink, looking at him. "Wha'cha thinkin' 'bout?" 

"The best way to kill whoever the Hell took him and get away with it. And all of the ways I had thought about getting rid of a body on Terra."

"Wait, you thought about getting rid of bodies as a ten-year-old?!" Dad gapes at me and I shrug.

"Five to ten years old, but yes."

"Do I even want to know the ways?"

"Get barbed wire, wrap the body up in it, throw the body in the Mississippi River, and let the current drag the body down whenever it tried to float back up, getting rid of all distinguishing markings and all of the evidence. Or doing that while they're still alive. They'd either bleed to death from the barbed wire cutting into their flesh or of drowning. Both are painful and full of suffering. That was the main way and I might do that to whoever took Jay, honestly..." They're all looking at me, silent, and I shrug.

"I've got issues."

"Ya think?" Yondu scoffs and I tilt my head to pop my neck. "Do ya gotta do tha'?" He cringes and I shrug one shoulder, tapping my index finger against the table a bit as I think.

"Yondu, you and I will take both of these two, the one cell area first." He nods and I look at the other Captains. "Choose your arena, which place you want to take." They all pick a building, two Captains on each one, and we all get clear on the plan, which was simple.

"K, you stay on stand by until we need you. How far does your mind thing work?"

_"If I am on the planet with you, I will be able to speak to you all as we are now."_

"Then you'll need to be hidden where no one can find you." I look at the planet picture and point to some trees a bit away from the buildings Yondu and I were gonna hit. "Will you be able to reach the other buildings with your portals from this spot?" He nods and I nod back. "Good. You wait there and we'll let you know when we find Jay." He nods again and the Captains all look at me.

"Ya ready, girl?" Yondu asks and they all smirk.

"Let's show these Federalists who they're up against," Dad says, knowing how this will end but not caring, and I nod a bit.

"Southern Mother Fucking Democratic-Republicans!" He rolls his eyes and the other Captains look confused while Yondu laughs.

"Girl, ya an' tha' damned music show thin'!"

"It is a damned good musical and has damned good music! And I will stick to that notion until my last damned breath!" The other Captains roll their eyes and I smirk. "Let's give these damned Kree a run for their fucking money and kick their fucking asses!"

"Hell yeah!"

"I AM GROOT!"

"Fuck yeah!" Rocket translates and scolds Groot for the language again.

"Get your First Mates and get to Hala! Remain cloaked! If any of your crew don't make it back, tell Krugarr so we can give them the Ravager Funeral they deserve!" Stakar yells above everyone and we all nod, leaving. "Rogue!" I stop and go over to him as the others leave.

"Yeah, Stakar?"

"Come back alive." He rests a hand on my shoulder and I nod, looking at him.

"I will, Pops. You come back alive too. Or else I'll have to kill you myself." He chuckles and nods. I leave the room and he follows after me.

"Martinex, get the crew ready. We're going to get her First Mate back."

"Aye, Captain." I go to the _Winter_ and board it, piloting back to the _Golden Opportunity_.

The rest of my crew was waiting and look at me. "How'd it go? Are we going? Do we have any backup from the other Clans?"

"Calm down. It went fine. We're going. We have all of the Clans helping us. We're going to kick their fucking asses." They cheer and I go to controls to start piloting us to Hala after setting a course there.

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When we get there, all of the ships are cloaked and I have one of my strongest crew members, after Lo, come with me while the head and leads of teams stay on board. "You're all too valuable to die. All of my crew is, but I'm ordering you as your Captian to stay aboard this ship and keep it in one piece. I trust all of you." They nod and I take the crew I had chosen with me onto Hala aboard the _Winter_ as I notice the _Warbird_ , _Cawl_ , _Milano_ , and some other M-ships leave the hangars of their home ship, all of them cloaked.

We all land in an empty field in the middle of the woods and the teams from all of the different Clans go to their marks. Yondu and Kraglin stay close to me and Tex. "Yondu, a slight change of plans..."

"Wha'cha mean, girl?"

"We're gonna have to start with the arena... The one cell area is crawling with guards and we can't quite deal with them right now..." He nods and we start with the arena.

There were hundreds of cells but no battles going on thankfully and we get them freed quickly. "Krugarr, you're up." A portal opens to med and the freed slaves all run for it, getting through it easily. "They're through." The portal closes and we all go to the one cell area. I grab a rock and tie it to the end of my arrow after taking it out of its holster.

"Wha' the Hell are ya doin'?" I shrug and whistle sharply, making the arrow go flying above the heads of the guards. The rock hits them all in the head and knocks them down, unconscious.

"I can't believe that seriously worked..." I scoff and go towards the door. "We need a code..." Tex blasts the keypad and the door opens.

"There's the code," Tex smirks and I shrug, going inside with them.

"Halt!" A Kree guard points a blaster at us and I look at them.

"That's a big gun, honey. Did you get it to make up for your small penis?" I whistle sharply and my arrow flies above us, the rock hitting him in the head.

"Halt!" Another Kree guard yells and points an even bigger gun at us.

"Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm a Ravager and I've been distracting people with insults since the day I was born. You look like you just got shat out by an Abilisk." I whistle again and he gets knocked out by the rock attached to my arrow. I lead the way through the one cell area and continue to insult people before knocking them out while Tex ties them up after they're knocked out. The others also join in on the insults and I nod at some of them.

We get to the cell part and I let my hair down from where it was finally before I go in, knowing there are a lot of Kree in there. They stay out of the door to the sides and the Kree turn to look at me from where they were circled Jay, who was unconscious and bleeding from his wrists, ankles, face, and had water running down his face too.

"22-3-16. I see you have finally come to join your husband, 33-4-17."

"Mm. Not quite. I've come to rescue him."

"Empty your weapons." One of them points a huge gun at me and I raise an eyebrow at it.

"Man, that is one big gun. Must be a huge contrast from the gun in your pants, huh?" They look confused and I roll my eyes. "I'm saying you have a small penis, you stupid idiots." I whistle suddenly and my arrow flies around the room, knocking them all out. "Get in here." They come in and tie the guards up while I go over to Jay.

"Oh... Alienboy... What did they do to you?" I ask softly and blast the chains off of him quickly, catching him when he falls forward. "I got you..." He stirs and I carefully set his feet on the floor, smiling at him when he opens his eyes. "Hey there... How're you feeling?"

He suddenly pins me to the wall by my throat and is glaring at me, his eyes devoid of any emotions and filled with the need to survive. "Help..." I croak and try to claw his hand off with no luck. Kraglin tackles him and I fall to the floor, coughing. Tex and Kraglin try to get him under control and he beats the shit out of them.

"Ya a'right, girl?" I nod and hit a button on my wrist com.

"Krugarr! We found him! Give us the portal! Now!" The portal to my quarters pops up and Yondu stands in Jay's direct line of sight.

"Hey! Boy!" He looks up at him and charges, knocking him through the portal and onto my bed. The other two quickly get through with me, holding my arrow in my hand, and Yondu and Jay fight.

"Shut it!" The portal shuts behind us and I go over to them, knocking Jay off of Yondu and onto the bed on his back with a kick to his side. "Do not interfere with what's about to happen! And never mention it to anyone!" I growl and they all step back. Jay grabs me and pins me to the bed suddenly, hands around my throat tightly. I put my arms through his and break the hold, flipping us to pin him down with my straddling his chest, quickly cuffing him to the slits in the headboard so he can't hurt me or himself.

"Jay, listen to me!" I grab his face with both hands and make him look at me, his eyes still filled with the need to survive.

"You are not a battle slave! Your name is not that damned number they gave you! You are a Ravager! You are my First Mate! You are my damned husband! You... You are the fucking father of the damned kid I'm pregnant with! You are the man that I thank the Gods for every damned day! So you will snap the fuck out of this or I'm going to fucking kill you myself, damnit!" I squeeze his face and he wasn't struggling anymore, chest heaving between my legs. I carefully move my forehead to rest against his and keep his head still so he can't headbutt me.

"Just... Just please come back to me... Please..." I whisper and his head strains against my hold, making me move my head back. He looks at me and he seemed to be back to normal, making me smile a bit.

"You seriously feel that way about someone you don't even know?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I feel my chest constrict, tears in my eyes at that. "Or, rather, someone that doesn't know you from your reaction? Do you mind getting off of me? I kinda can't breathe."

"Sorry..." I quickly get off of him and swallow against the lump in my throat while he looks at the other three. "Do... Do you know them?"

"I don't know the big guy... But the other two are my Captain, Yondu Udonta, and my First Mate, Kraglin Obfonteri." He looks at me and looks me up and down. "I don't know you, but I'd sure like to get to know you with those long legs, darlin'." He smirks at me and I say nothing, grabbing the medkit after tossing my jacket onto a nightstand. "Oh, yeah. That'd be great. Are you one of Doc's helpers? Could you also take these cuffs off of me?" I take them off and he looks at me again as I start to get ready to clean and patch him up, sitting in a chair near the bed so I can as he sits up slightly. "So, sweetheart?"

"So what?"

"Are you one of Doc's helpers, babe?" I press a cotton ball with alcohol on it to an open wound harder than I meant to and he hisses. "Never mind. You, clearly aren't. They would've taught you proper bedside manner. Think you could be a bit gentler, sugar lips?"

"Do you want to be cleaned up or not?" Tex growls and I glare at him. "Sorry, Cap'n." Jay looks at me in shock and I ignore it to gently clean him up.

"You're a Captain?"

"Yes, I'm a Captain. Why do you sound so shocked? There are female Captains." 

"I know! It's nothing against you being a lady. I've just never seen a Captain as pretty as you." I grab a needle and prick my finger, blood coming out of it. "What are you? You're not a Xandarian, we bleed blue."

"I'm a Terran."

"Oh." He stops talking after that and I just work on fixing him up in silence for a couple of moments.

"Krags, will you escort Tex out of my quarters and play my music, please." Kraglin nods and does just that, music surrounding us as he comes back up. "Thanks." He sits next to Yondu on a windowsill large enough for them plus more and Jay rolls his eyes at the music before just looking out the window to enjoy the stars.

"I bet you love staring out that window, don't you, Terran?" He says Terran like it's an insult and I feel like I got stabbed in the chest with my arrow and Yondu's, swallowing a bit. He then notices my arrow and scoffs. "Did you come up with that idea?" I nod slightly and he scoffs again. "Typical Terran move. Use a rock to get what you want. Why's it attached to Captain's arrow?"

I whistle and my arrow soars over to Yondu and Kraglin. "One of you want to take the rock off of it for me? My hands are kinda full..." Yondu takes it off and I whistle it into its holster on my hip.

"You haven't answered my question. Do you enjoy staring out that window, Terran?"

"Yes, I do. It-"

"Typical of a Terran."

"It reminds me of stargazing with my sister and Mom before my Mom died in a car accident when I was three." I continue despite his interruption and he looks at me as I finish patching him up.

"Were you the cause of it?"

"What the Hell did you just ask me?" I freeze in wrapping his body up to catch any bleeding and look at his face for the first time since he came back like this.

"Were you the cause of it? I heard young Terrans are one of the main causes of car accidents." He sneers and I just finish wrapping his body up, standing. "What? Are you going to run away to cry, Terran?" He scoffs and I take my ring off from around my head, showing it to him. "You steal that from somebody?"

"No. I got it from the man I married."

"Another Terran?"

"No, a Xandarian."

"Was it Kraglin? I think that he's the only Xandarian I know that's crazy enough to marry a Terran like you."

"It was you, jackass. You're so lucky I know this isn't like you or else I'd throw you out into the deep." He scoffs and laughs.

"For someone who swears I'm her husband and the one she thanks the Gods for every day, you sure do threaten to kill me a lot. Is that part of all Terrans charms?" I clench my jaw and put the chain back on, tucking it into my shirt. "And if you truly loved me, you'd put it on your hand."

"I wear it on a chain to keep people from stealing it and to keep it close to my heart, asshat." He laughs at that and I glare at him.

"Gods, are all Terrans as sappy as you?" There's pounding on my door and I go to the steps. "Hey, while you're down there, could you get me a drink? Thanks!" I go down the steps and answer the door to let Fang, Dad, his crew, the Ogords, Martinex, Mainframe, Krugarr, and Charlie-27 in.

"How is he?" I don't respond and get a bottle of water from my bar as well as a few bottles of Rhone.

"He's up there. I'll meet you up there in a minute." They head upstairs after Fang goes up first to talk to his son and Dad grabs glasses before going up with me.

"C-Captains..." I get up the stairs in time to see Jay trying to get up and push him back onto the bed after setting the drinks on a nightstand. "Get the Hell off of me, you Terran bitch!" He hisses as he hits me and I land on the floor, hitting my back on the corner of the nightstand. Everyone was shocked and I stand back up, grabbing the bottled water.

"This is for you." I open it and am a second away from spilling it on him before just handing it to him.

"I was hoping for something stronger..." He mutters under his breath and I feel my arrow quivering in its holster, knowing my implant was glowing blue behind my hair. "Can't you control that thing, Terran?" I don't respond and take my knife out to open the bottles of Rhone before I sit back in the chair I was in earlier while Jay looks at Dad.

"Rogue, what the Hell is wrong with him?" Gamora asks and I shrug, taking a swig of Rhone straight from the bottle as I hand Rocket the other bottles.

"Kree did something to his memories would have to be my guess."

"I guess that I'll have to thank them if I was married to a drunk like you, Terran." Jay scoffs and it takes everything in me to not hit him over the head with the bottle. "And who the Hell even are you to the Captains of the Ravager Clans and the Guardians of the Galaxy?" Dad starts to come forward but stops at a glare from me and Jay looks between us. "Is that your actual husband? Don't you think he's a little old for you?"

I suddenly break the bottle of Rhone against the nightstand and throw the neck of it against the wall behind me so I don't stab him. "I am tired of your bullshit! I patched you up myself and you have yet to say thank you or show me any damned respect! You're in my fucking bed in my fucking quarters on my fucking ship! If you don't stop with the asshole comments and remarks, I'll stab you in your fuck-" He cuts me off with a sudden kiss to the lips and lets me go after a moment. I narrow my eyes at him and am silent.

"Thank, Gods. I thought that might shut you up." I suddenly plunge both of my knives on either side of his right thigh, very close to his groin area, and he squeaks, moving up the bed slightly until I move one of my blades to the other side of his left thigh. I was leaning over him and his eyes flick between mine and my knives.

"I'm going to speak slowly so you can understand me. I have a fucking name. It is Rogue Quill Obfonteri Udonta or Captain. It's not babe. It's not sugar lips. It's not sweetheart. It's not darlin' or darling. And it sure as hell isn't Terran bitch. You will call me Captain because you are on my damned ship and you will show me the respect that I earned and deserve. You will no longer insult me. You will no longer hit me. And you will no longer demand things of me without a please and a thank you if I do them. Now, you will thank me for patching you up."

"Th-Thank you..."

"Thank you who?"

"Thank you, Captain..."

"There we go. Now, I'm going to sit back down with my knives back in their holsters and have a drink with my family while you drink your water like a good boy and we'll try to jog your memory on who I am. Sound good? Great!" I take my knives out of my mattress without waiting for an answer and put them back in their holsters before sitting down. "Rocket, you gonna pour drinks?" Rocket pours drinks and hands me one. "Thank you." He hands drinks to the others and I lean back in my chair, sipping on my glass.

"You want to start with the stories, Rogue? You were the one with him every day."

"Sure, Dad. That's a good idea." I lean forward slightly to look at him and look into the Rhone as I think of a story to tell.

"One of the more memorable times was after that Skrull got onboard the _Eclector_ and had my face on, fooling everybody. I got stabbed while killing them and punched you in the face. I got patched up then went to work in the hangar and every ship I did the mechanics team double-checked without Fang's knowledge.

"They tried to get you to double-check one and you stuck up for me. You said that even though I was pissed at everyone on board, I wouldn't mess with the ships. The team asked me if I messed with the ships and I told the truth that I didn't. When the rest of the team went to work on ships, you came over and asked me if I was still pissed.

"I was, just not as much, and apologized for hitting you in the face. You said that you could just say you got into a fight with a big guy and came out with only that bruise while the other guy looked like shit. I called you a natural Muhammad Ali and you pecked my cheek. Then, when you found out Yondu and Kraglin were behind you and coming to kill you, you said that you might as well make dying worth it and kissed me for real.

"You then said that if you died that day, at least you got to kiss a pretty girl before running for the hills with them hot on your heels. When you got back, you had a black eye and a busted lip. I asked you if it was worth it and you smiled and said 'definitely, you'll always be worth it'. And you'd only known me for a week to a month at that point." I look up at him and he was watching me.

"That was the... Sappiest shit I've ever heard. What? Are you going to tell me that you also stowed away on a ship to stay with me?" The room goes silent and we all look at him. "What?"

"I did do that. Before the Skrull incident happened because I couldn't stand the thought of being without my best friend at the time. You were my first real friend." He rolls his eyes and I get pissed, grabbing his face after putting my glass down. "I am being fully serious, Jay."

"Yeah, right, sweet girl." He scoffs and I look at him, kissing him suddenly.

He looks at me when I pull away and I sit on the edge of the bed carefully. "You taste good drunk..." He mutters and I smile a bit.

"Then you taste deliciously stupid. You remember now?"

"I remember some things, I'm guessing from that kiss..." He chuckles nervously and I run a hand through my hair. A transmission comes through my wrist com and I tap it. 

"What do you want?"

_"Captain, we have a small problem..."_

"What the Hell is it, Riv?"

_"Pac's family is trying to kill everyone."_

"Of fucking course they are. What the Hell else would they be trying to do when we saved their fucking asses? Where?"

_"Med, Captain."_

"I'll be right there." I end the transmission and look at Jay. "You stay in this damned bed or everyone has my permission to knock you the fuck out if you try to leave the bed. Clear?" He nods and I stand, leaving. "Do not kill each other! I don't have time to clean blood out of my quarters!" I yell as I leave through the door and run towards med.

I skid to a stop in the door and see a woman, a young girl, and a young boy wielding scalpels while they were in a circle. They see me and clutch tighter to the scalpels. "Where's my husband?!"

"You're Pac's wife, then. If you drop the scalpels, I'll take you to him." They narrow their eyes at me but do put the scalpels down and I nod. "Good. Follow me. Tex, Lo, you're coming to. Everyone else, help Doc."

"Aye, Captain." Tex, Lo, and Pac's family follow me to the brig and the little kids stay close to their mother.

"Where are we going, Momma?"

"To see Daddy. Where is my husband?"

"He's in the brig. He kept giving away where we'd be for missions and got numerous children on my crew killed as well as getting my First Mate captured." They stop walking and I look over my shoulder at them. "If you want to ask him for yourself, you're free to. But I have no reason to lie to you. Let's go. I don't have the time or patience for this." They continue walking and we go over to Pac's cell, where he was leaning against the wall.

"Daddy!" The kids run over to it and Pac looks up, coming over to the door. The woman follows and he gently cups her face.

"My love..." She leans her forehead against his through the bars and I watch them, arms crossed over my chest as I lean against a wall. "Did... Did you truly do what she says you did? Did you cause the deaths of children?" She steps back a step and looks at him while he crouches down to gently cups the faces of the kids.

"I did it to protect you three... The Kree said that they'd kill you all... If I didn't give them what they wanted... I didn't mean for the kids to die... Or for Jay to get captured..." He looks at me and I push myself off of the wall.

"Stand up." He does and I grab his hands, yanking him against the cell door harshly. "I should kill you... I should make it so you can never talk, walk, or use your hands again..."

"Please..." He whimpers and looks at me. "Not... Not in front of my kids..." I look at the kids who were watching me in fear and I let him go to crouch in front of them.

"Don't do that stuff to our Daddy..." The little girl says and I look at her, eyes and face in a gentle expression.


	14. Chapter 14

"If our roles were switched, what would you want to happen to him to avenge your crew?"

"Can't... Can't you just kick him out of the crew?" I look at the wife and nod a bit. "Then that would be enough of a punishment!"

"The kids that got killed ranged from six to sixteen years old. That is not enough of a punishment." I look at the kids again and they look at me, tears in their eyes. "I want both of you to hold onto your Momma and not look at your Daddy for a while. I'll let you know when it's safe to look again, alright?" They nod and turn to hide their faces against their mom's shoulders since she had crouched down at some point.

"Lo, Tex, stand between us and make sure they can't see what's gonna happen." I stand and go back over to the cell, opening it.

"Aye, Cap'n." They do that and I go in.

"Put your hands on the floor, Pac." He was shaking but does and I take my knife out of my thigh holster, crouching next to him. "Hold still." I grab his right wrist and hold it still before cutting off his middle and pinky fingers on that hand. He screams and I do the same to the other hand, causing him to scream more.

"Please..." He whimpers and I look at him, standing. He cradles his hands close to his chest and I go out of the cell.

"Tex, you're good at med. Stitch him up so he doesn't bleed too much. And do not do anything more." He nods and goes to do that, having a needle and thread on him as I go over to his family.

"Is he gonna... Be OK?" The little boy asks softly and I nod.

"He'll be able to pick you up. When you get back to wherever you get dropped off, take him to a healer's office." The wife nods and looks at me.

"Thank you... For not killing him..." Tex comes out and Pac was carefully starting to leave. "Can... Can we leave?" I nod and Pac comes over to his family, holding them tightly when they hug him. He looks at me and lets them go after a moment.

"You are no longer a Ravager. And you will not bear the flame of us or the colors of my crew any longer." He takes his jacket off and drops it on the floor. "Someone will drop you off on whatever planet we're closest to and you can figure out your way to wherever you want to be from there. Lo, take him to planetside." I spin on my heel and leave the brig to go to med.

"Aye, Cap'n." He grabs Pac by the back of his shirt and leads him out of the brig toward the hangar, his family following. 

I get into med and it was insane. "Doc!" Doc pops his head around a privacy shield and looks at me.

"Yes, Captain? Do you need to be checked over?" I nod and he nods back, having one of his temporary team members come over to finish taking care of his patient. "This way, Captain." He leads me to a private room and draws the blinds while I sit on the bed. "How is the little one doing?" He smiles at me and I shrug. "Have you been drinking again?"

"I keep forgetting that I'm not supposed to..." I chuckle a bit and he shakes his head, coming over to me. He checks me over and notices something.

"Odd... It seems as though the child has disappeared... It might be that I was mistaken... Perhaps you weren't pregnant, Captain. Just late for your menstrual cycle." I nod and he pats my shoulder gently. "Would you mind checking for bleeding? That might have been the cause of the child being gone." He turns around and I do that, knowing the room was locked down tight. "Any bleeding, Captain?"

"Yeah... Another miscarriage... Do you still have spare clothes for me in here?"

"Of course, Captain. The second drawer on the right." I open the drawer and pull out clean underwear and pants, pulling them on quickly. "Put the old clothes in the red chute please, Captain." I do that and he turns around at the sound of it shutting. "Are you alright, Captain?"

"Yeah... I'm fine." I smile at him and he smiles back.

"How is Jay?"

"He's fine. He's resting in my quarters and he's patched up. Yes, I know how to patch people up. I'm good at sewing people up just not sewing clothes." He chuckles and nods as I leave med. I go back to my quarters and pile my hair on top of my head to keep myself from running my hands through it, which is a thing I do when I'm nervous or upset and I don't want the others to know.

I open the door to my quarters to yelling and go up the stairs quickly, seeing Dad and Yondu in a screaming match over Jay who was watching, not knowing what else to do. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I bellow and everyone goes silent, looking at me. "Can't you people ever got along?"

"Naw." Kraglin scoffs and I rub my face a bit, sitting in my chair next to the bed. "Ya a'right, girl?" I give him a thumbs up and grab my drink, downing it.

"Uh-huh. Sure." Martinex scoffs and I flip him off as I pour myself more Rhone.

"Jay seems to have more memories back. Specifically of when you were on my ship with him. For your stealing. In his quarters. After figuring out the planet for your wedding. As well as the clothes you were wearing." I was taking a drink and choke on it, coughing.

"That was our reaction too," Dad says drily and I glare at Jay.

"I got the memory back and told them that I did! They wanted to know more so I told them everything!"

"Well don't tell them things like that! You're in front of my damned father, grandparents, uncles, and the rest of my fucking family! Are you insane?!"

"Well, yes...?" He shrugs one shoulder and I put my head into my hand, my elbow resting on my knee.

"Jesus Christ... I'm surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy..." I mutter in the silent room and rub my face before drinking some more of my Rhone.

"Hey! I am not an idiot!" Jay glares at me and I raise an eyebrow at him silently. "OK, maybe a bit of an idiot..." He mutters and leans against the pillows, arms crossed.

"There, there. Half of the Guardians are idiots too. Gamora, Mantis, and Groot are the only safe ones."

"Hey!" Dad glares at me and I ignore him, crossing my legs at the ankles as I put my feet on my bed. "Rogue, your quarters are still a mess. I thought you were going to clean them up?"

"So is your life. What's your point? Also, fuck you. It's my ship and I've been a little busy with other things."

"Yeah, we can tell. You had like ten empty bottles of Rhone under your bed."

"You rooted around under my bed? Why the Hell are you going through my room?"

"To see if we can find anything that might spark something in Jay's head. Instead, we're finding very bad coping mechanisms."

"You're an annoying asshat, y'know that?" He shrugs and I glare at him. 

"What happened to Pac?" Gamora asks, changing the subject, and I look at her.

"That treasonous rat got four fingers cut off and kicked off of my crew. Lo's taking him and his family to the nearest planet. That's him now." I tap my wrist com and accept the video transmission from Lo.

_"Cap'n, Pac an' his family are on Knowhere. His wife took him to a healer's office an' they'll be leaving for their home planet after."_

"Good for them. Did they give you any issues?"

_"No, Cap'n. They acted like they had sense an' got off the ship without a word. I'll be docking shortly."_

"Good. Once you're docked, go to med and help Doc out. He has his hands full in there."

_"Aye, Cap'n."_ He nods and I end the transmission, grabbing my glass to take a sip.

"You're a pretty decent Captain for a Terran," Jay says and I roll my eyes.

"Gee, thanks," I say sarcastically and motion towards his still full bottle of water. "Get to drinking that." He nods and drinks some of the water. "So, who's turn is it to tell a story?"

"Krags just finished telling him how he beat the shit out of him for kissing you." I look at Kraglin and he shrugs.

"Petey told me ta." I grab a pillow from the floor and fling it at Dad, hitting him right in the face.

"Hey! You were ten! You didn't need boys kissing you at that age!" He huffs and Gamora pats his shoulder gently.

"Then it's probably a good thing he doesn't know about the mess kiss, huh?" Jay mutters and I look at him, eyebrow raised. "What?"

"What'd you just say?"

"That it was probably a good thing he didn't know about the kiss in the mess?" He looks at me, confused, and I smirk, taking a sip of my Rhone.

"How many times did you kiss my daughter?!" I whistle and my arrow is suddenly in front of Dad to stop him from advancing on Jay.

"Dad." They all look at me and I was glaring at Dad. "You aren't allowed to beat him up. He got beat up enough by the Kree. So sit down and behave or I'm kicking you out." He sits with a growl next to Yondu and Kraglin and I whistle my arrow back into its holster, arms crossed slightly as I look at Jay. "You know why the kiss happened?"

"Cuz of something with Terra...?" I motion for him to continue and he rolls his eyes, thinking. "Part of Terra was angled away from the solar star and you said something stupid... That you were eleven?"

"So your memories are coming back... They're just bouncing all over the place on what's coming back... Interesting..." Groot comes over to us and climbs onto the bed, sitting next to our feet. "Yes, Groot?"

"I am Groot?" He moves his hand like he's going to hit someone and points at Jay.

"Hey, you paid attention when I showed you how to play Charades. Nice."

"I am Groot?" He copies the motions again then points to his head and I shrug a bit, guessing at what he's saying.

"Have at it, little buddy. We won't know if it helps until we try it." He goes over to Jay and hits him in the side of the head.

"Ouch! What the Hell, twig?!" He rubs his head where he got hit and glares at me. "Why'd you say he could do that?!"

"I wanted to know if it would work too. Plus, karma. Hit him again on the other side." Groot hits him on the other side of his head and Jay yelps, rubbing that side of his head too. "Anything coming back?"

"Yeah! That you're fucking insane!"

"Well, yeah. Duh. Anything that isn't obvious?" He glares at me and I just smirk while Groot sits on my legs, watching Jay.

"Yeah, I got captured by the Skrulls cuz of you and your damned plan to steal a knife from Nova Corps. Which you got stabbed with." I nod and wait to see if he had any other memories. "You beat the shit out of some asshat that hit you. Twice." I nod and notice Dad muttering under his breath.

"What are you talking about over there?"

"That now I understand how Yondu felt when I was younger."

"HA! As if! I was a Hell of a lot more behaved than you were!"

"How do you figure that?"

"Did I ever sneak someone into his quarters or into your room on your ship to have sex?" 

"Well, no..."

"Then I was a lot more behaved. Or less stupid." He glares at me and throws a pillow at me. I duck to let it soar over my head and smirk at him, leaning back in my chair a bit. Jay was silent and his hand was shaking before the rest of him starts to. "Awe, fucking Hell..." I quickly yank him to be laying down, putting Groot on the nightstand and hold his head so he doesn't bang it against anything.

"What's happening?" Dad stands and comes over.

"Get the syringe out of the medkit." He continues to come over to hold Jay and I look at him. "Get the fucking syringe!" He grabs it and hands it to me after taking the cover off of the needle. "Hold his arm still!" He holds it tightly and I find a decent vein, injecting the medicine in the syringe into his vein.

"What the Hell just happened?!" Fang growls when Jay stops shaking and is unconscious while I sit next to him, leaning my head against the wall at the head of my bed. "Well?!"

"He had a seizure. He has them when he's sick or badly injured. Doc made sure that my medkit was stocked with plenty of medicine to stop them."

"Why not in his quarters?"

"Drax, he can't inject himself when he's shaking like that and has no control over his body. He stays in here with me more often than he doesn't. Nebula is probably the only one that knows he comes in at night when the rest of the crew is asleep then leave before they wake up."

"Why not just tell the crew that you are married and share a room? Then someone else could use his quarters." I shrug and gently card my hands through Jay's hair, hoping he'll be OK.

"We just haven't. And he has so many clothes." Jay starts to stir and I look at him a bit.

"You want to get your hand out of my hair?" I roll my eyes but stop carding my fingers through his hair to instead cross my arms and Groot hops onto the bed to sit next to us as Jay sits up carefully, rubbing his arm where he got stuck by the needle. "What the Hell did you do to my arm?"

"I gave you medicine to stop your seizure." There's pounding on my door and I tap a button on my nightstand to have a video transmission pop up, showing Riv on the other side of the door before I press another button so we can talk. "What is it, Riv?"

_"We have an issue with one of the turbines, Cap'n. We need to land immediately so that we can work on it or it will go out and we'll crash."_

"What planet are we closest to?"

_"Xandar after we go through a jump, Cap'n. It's the safest one and we'd be better off going there than turning around to go to the planets around us currently."_

"Damnit... I didn't want to deal with that damned bitch..." I mutter under my breath and rub my face before replying to Riv. "Land on Xandar, Riv. Make it as smooth as possible."

_"Aye, Cap'n."_ He walks away and I turn the transmission off.

"We're landing on Xandar? Can I leave the ship?"

"No. You're in no condition to leave this bed, let alone the ship."

"I feel fine."

"That's because the water had some pain killers in it and will help speed up your recovery."

"You drugged me?!"

"No. I gave you medicine to help you not feel like shit."

"Without my permission!"

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do! You fucking drugged me!" I can tell I'm close to losing my temper and glare at him, implant flashing blue.

"You will calm down and drink that water." He glares back at me and just throws the bottled water down the stairway, barely missing hitting Fang in the head. "Mature. You will also be cleaning up whatever mess that just caused when I deem you're healthy enough to get out of bed." I gently grab his chin and look his face over for any bleeding. "How's the rest of your body feeling? Sore? Bleeding?"

"I feel fine. And I am getting out of this bed." He starts to get up and I have him pinned with his back to the wall easily, my arm across his chest and my other hand on his shoulder while I was partially in front of him.

"No, you're going to stay in the bed. We'll probably be on Xandar for a while and you can go do whatever you want tomorrow after you've drunk two more bottles of that water. Got it?" He nods and I let him go. "Good. Fang, get a couple more bottles of that water." Fang nods and goes to get them.

"You're insane..." Jay mutters and I shrug one shoulder. Fang tosses me a bottle and I catch it, handing it to Jay. "Does it have any more drugs?"

"Just ones to help speed up your recovery. Doc put them in all of the bottles and I added pain killers to the first one. I'm not going to apologize for trying to make sure you weren't in pain. So suck it the fuck up, buttercup." He takes the bottle and drinks some. "Good." I sit in the chair from before, straddling the back of it, and lean against the top of the back, chin resting on my arms. "When we land, you'll be taken to a private room in med so Doc can keep an eye on you. He's much more experienced than I am in bedside manner."

We go through a jump and hear the turbine give out, seeing Xandar coming up fast. I get up and quickly go down the stairs, just sliding down the railing. _"Cap'n! You're needed in controls!"_ Riv yells over the intercoms and I land in front of the door, opening it.

"What happened?!"

"Turbine wasn't able to handle the jump! It blew and took out a coolant tank!" Nora explains loudly over all of the beeping warnings and I think quickly. "What do we do, Captain?!"

"Use M-ships to keep us steady! Have Vera and her team take some, each one with a co-pilot, and have them act as our second turbine!" She nods and runs to the hangar to do that. "Riv!" He looks at me and I go over to the controls. "Get on those controls and help me keep it steady for them!" He gets on the co-pilot controls and I press a few buttons to override the hangar doors so we don't have to waste time doing that.

I see M-ships fly out of the hangar and to the side of the ship that had the blown turbine before we're descending at a much more peaceful rate of speed, warnings still blaring around us. Riv and I land us in a clearing and the end with the blown turbine lands hard when the M-ships move so they don't get crushed. Another warning pops up and I groan when I see we took out another coolant tank and part of an engine with the landing. I move all of the warnings to the side and go to check on Doc in med.

"Captain, what in the world happened?!"

"Don't worry, it's fine. The ship had some issues, we're going to get it fixed. Is everything OK here?" He nods and I look around at the patients and other crew members.

"Everything's fine, Captain. All of them had easy to fix injuries. How's Jay?" Lo asks and I nod.

"He's recovering." They nod and I leave, going back to my controls to see the piloting and mechanics team waiting for me. "Here we go..." I mutter under my breath and go over to them.

"How are we going to fix the ship? My team is not nearly large enough to handle this!" Nora growls and I look at her calmly. "And the people in med are going to be no help!" I put a hand up and she stops talking.

"We're going to fix the ship by the entire crew becoming mechanics until it's fixed. Anyone in med healed enough to help will be helping to get rid of destroyed parts. Once Jay is healed, he'll be helping too. I'll talk to the other Captains and see if they can give us any of the people from their mechanics teams to help as well."

"What about costs to the ship, Cap'n?" Riv asks and I motion for him to wait. I go into my quarters and notice the others coming down, Krugarr helping Jay, as I try to find my stash of units.

"Where the Hell did I put them?" I mutter to myself and sigh, thinking as I look around before I snap, going over to the wall. "Right!" I press against the wall and crouch, removing a loose panel before pulling out a large sack of units. "Ha-Ha!"

"Damn! Did you never spend any part of your cuts?"

"No, I told you, I was saving them for a rainy day. And it's fucking pouring outside."

"It is a sunny day and there is no rain anywhere."

"Drax, figure of speech." He nods and I set the bag on the desk. "Let's see... Turbine, two coolant tanks, and the entire southern right quadrant engine... Ooh, boy..." I think and drag some units out. "How much would all of that cost, exactly?"

"A fuckin' lot, girl." Yondu scoffs and I give him an unamused look.

"'Bout two billion units. Pro'lly more." Kraglin explains and I blow out a slow breath before crouching back down to drag out a box of units. "Tha' from the hit with tha' knife?" I nod and count what's in it, nodding a bit. I put the bag back and put the cover back on before standing with the box. "How much ya got there?"

"Around five billion units. I got first dibs on the units, I got stabbed. Besides, there were nine hundred billion in total, everyone got a fair amount."

"Ya got ten billion units, girl! Wha' happened ta the other half?!"

"That, you do not want to know."

"She gave it to a bunch of kids on Xandar." Jay supplies and we all gape at him. "It's coming back to me more." He shrugs and they then look at me to see me leaving with the box of units.

"This is how we'll pay for the costs to the ship. You have someone to get the parts from?" Riv and Nora nod and I set the box on my chair. "Good. Did we land close to your supplier?" They nod again and I raise an eyebrow.

"It's a bit of a hike, but we can get there on foot."

"Will they have the means to transport our parts and what do they want in return?"

"Any scraps from the damages and units. Four and a half billion of them. And they'll have a way to bring our parts here." I nod and look at them. "I don't think that you'll be able to bargain with them. The parts are brand new and they said that's the lowest they'd go."

"I'm very persuasive." They just nod and I look at Kraglin. "Kraglin, stay here with the units and these two. I'll be back in a minute. Krugarr, I'll lead you to med." He just summons a portal and goes through it with Jay before it closes behind them. "Or you can do that and I'll meet you there." I go to med and see Krugarr go into the private room with Jay and Doc.

"Alright! Are all of you healed to where you won't die lifting things?" They nod and Doc comes back out with Krugarr. "Doc, they cleared to help clear out the turbine and stuff?" He nods and I nod back. "Good. You keep an eye on Jay and let me know if you need any help in here. A Code S has already happened." Doc nods his understanding and I leave med while the others follow me back to controls.

"Do we need to wait for anyone else?" Nora asks and I shake my head.

"Nope. These guys are going to get started on taking out the ruined parts and we're going to go see your supplier. Any questions? No? Awesome. Let's go. I want to get off of this damned planet before the damned Nova Corps or fucking Nova Prime sneaks up on us." I mutter and Riv and Nora lead the crew to the pieces that needed to be taken out while I grab the box of units.

"You need anything from us?" I look at them and think.

"Some of your mechanics would be helpful." They nod and each contact their crews to have them send some of their mechanics team down.


	15. Chapter 15

Nora and Riv come back and the three of us go to meet their supplier. We go into his building and meet them. "Riv, Nora! My loves!" They come over and kisses their cheeks, looking at me. "You must be their dear Captain!"

"Do not touch me." They stop a step away from me and just smile.

"Alright. Well, dear, I am Chex."

"Like the cereal?"

"What's cereal?"

"Never mind. You have an engine, turbine, and coolant tanks for us?"

"Right to the point! I like you, dear!" They go around a counter and I go over to it too. "I do have the parts you need. I will give you a discount because I like you. Ten billion units."

"You told my crew four and a half billion. Let's go down to three and a half billion and I come to only you for any parts I need from now on and you'll get all scraps from the ruined parts. Do we have a deal?" Chex looks at me and I feel Nora and Riv's eyes on me too.

"Four billion and all of those circumstances."

"Three and three quarters with those circumstances and I throw in the fact that no one will deal with you other than the three of us and no one will know where your shop is without your permission." They nod, thinking, and I wait.

"Alright, dear. You have yourself a deal." They start to take the box and I just shake their hand to stop them.

"Lovely. I want to look at the parts before I pay you. Is that alright?" They nod and lead me to behind the counter so I can see the parts. I look them over and activate my visor to ensure nothing is wrong with them. "Alright. Everything looks amazing. These are the ones I'm getting?" They nod and I nod back. "Good. If I don't get these, I'll be back. Alright?"

"Alright, dear." They lead me back to the box and I pull out the units that were left after the deal, putting them in a pouch on my belt loop, before pushing the rest of them over to them.

"There you go, Chex. I heard there would be transportation to my ship?" They nod and I look behind them to see the parts being flown away by many drones. "Lovely. Pleasure doing business with you." I smile and they smile back before I leave with my crew.

We get back to the ship just as the parts were landing and mechanics from the other Captain's crews were waiting to intercept them to start working on getting them ready for installation but others were still taking out the ruined pieces, all of them wearing protective gloves. Riv and Nora go to help and I put my units back before also going to help, grabbing my Walkman for CDs too, needing music to do this efficiently.

"Cap'n!" Riv hollers and I look at him. "Here are some gloves to protect your hands." I take them and put them on. "All of the pieces are fairly easy to take off, the nuts and bolts holding them on broke on impact and we can just pull them out." I nod and put one of my headphones in one ear before starting to help. "Cap'n?" I look at Riv and raise an eyebrow. "Do you want me to put the music on?"

"How far are we from the city?"

"Far enough we can listen to music, Cap'n." I nod and he turns the music on while I shove the headphones into my pocket. We all work on taking the scraps out and loading them onto carts the drones had brought, the other Captains working too. Krugarr was making portals for the larger pieces that Stakar, Charlie, and Yondu were pulling off of the ship and Aleta was directing where to put everything with Kraglin and Martinex. Mainframe was talking to the drones about where to float and we work all day to get the scraps off and get the new parts put in.

By the time the sun has set, the pieces are finally off of the ship and the new parts were in well enough that they wouldn't fall to the ground. We're exhausted and are leaning against trees and boulders. Coop brings out some food and drinks for everyone and I watch the sunset while people go for the stuff Coop brings out. Coop brings me a tray over and I nod as thanks, eating it. He goes back onto the ship and the other Captains, Kraglin, and Martinex all end up sitting by me along with the Guardians.

"Gods, I can never sit anywhere without you guys coming over, can I?" I scoff around a bite of food and Dad rolls his eyes at my poor manners.

"Could you at least not talk with food in your mouth?" I flip him off and Kraglin laughs. We all eat in peaceful silence and I continue to watch the sunset past the trees as I eat.

_"Something on your mind?"_ Krugarr asks suddenly and I shake my head.

"Just enjoying the silence. It's not often Dad isn't talking." Dad hits me in the head and I smirk at him. "It is kind of an annoying voice."

"So's your music." He scoffs and I gasp in mock offense.

"As if!"

"It's really bad. It sounds like dying whales."

"I think that you might just be hearing the sound of your voice when you try to sing."

"Alright, that's it. We're settling this dispute." He starts to stand up and I roll my eyes.

"We can't settle every dispute with a-"

"Yes, we can. And we are. Come on. Get up. Dance battle time."

"I'm not getting up to participate in a dance battle because you are as mature as a five-year-old."

"Yes, you will. Loser has to get a tattoo. And if you don't get up, then that makes you the loser."

"I've been wanting a tattoo anyway, so HA!"

"Of _my_ choosing." He smirks and I roll my eyes.

"Well, fuck. Can't we settle this like adults?"

"How? A calm discussion?" He rolls his eyes and I scoff, setting my tray on the ground next to me.

"Hell no! I just kick your ass, in good fun." I suddenly launch at him and knock him onto the ground, pinning him there easily. He grunts and shoves at my head.

"You can't kick my ass!"

"I just did," I smirk and pat his face gently before standing up, dusting my pants off slightly. "I thought you would've learned how easily you get your ass kicked now that you're getting up there in age, old m- Whoa!" I grunt when I'm suddenly flat on my back with him pinning me there and smirking down at me.

"You were saying?" He pats my face and I wrap a leg around his waist, flipping us easily with my arm against his throat.

"I got trained by your wife and brother in hand to hand combat. And you, sometimes. I know your tricks, Quill."

"Who's to say I don't have new ones?" He suddenly grabs my head with one hand while pushing my shoulder with the other one and throws me off of him. "Like that?"

"That was a good one. Not bad." I roll a bit to land on my feet as I skid to a stop and smirk at him.

Suddenly a portal is opened below me and I land with a grunt behind the boulder I was leaning against earlier. "OW!" I get up and glare at Krugarr and he pulls me back down, motioning to be quiet. I look around the boulder and notice someone cloaked all of the ships then notice the Nova Corps members surveying the field. "Damnit..." I mutter under my breath and watch as they move around the field before leaving. Dad starts to get up and I hold him down, putting a finger to my lips.

A Nova Corps ship flies above us and above the trees before the sound finally stops. I let Dad go and look around to see the crews come off of ships. "Let's finish getting my ship fixed and get off of this fucking planet." The other Captains nod and we all go to finish up, having to stop numerous times throughout the night because of more ships flying over us and the occasional Nova Corps members searching the field lazily.

By the time morning comes, we're working like crazy to try to finish it and Jay comes to find me at around noon when we're nearly done. "What, Jay?"

"I need you to come with me." I look at him and look at the others.

"Go, girl," Yondu says and I nod as I put my hair down, following Jay, my jacket still in my quarters. We walk through the streets until we get to a little store and he goes in.

He comes back out a minute later and we continue walking through the streets. He leads me to a cemetery and I vaguely notice Kraglin but we continue to another grave. He kneels next to it and I kneel next to him as he blows a breath into the flower before it glows. He sets it down and starts to talk to his Mom about us.

When the light starts to fade, I stand and he looks at me. "I'll give you some privacy with your Mom, OK?" He nods and smiles as thanks. I smile back a bit and walk away, waiting with Kraglin at the fence. "Is it just me or do you have a feeling like something's about to go down?" I ask him softly and look at him.

"Ah feel it too." He pats my shoulder and I sigh softly, watching Jay. He stands and comes over to us. "Ya ready, boy?" He nods and we head back to the field, while Kraglin and I keep an eye out for anything.

When we get to the field, something is wrong and all of the ships are uncloaked. "Those were cloaked when we left..." Kraglin nods and we start to reach for our knives when blasters are pressed into our backs.

"How are you doing, Warrior?"

"Oh! It's you! Hey, pal! How's your wife?!" He hits me in the back with the handle of the blaster and I fall forward, a couple of people suddenly cuffing me. "That good, huh?!" I chuckle and the two people that cuffed me drag me to my feet, turning me so I can see the guy. He smirks at me and punches me hard in the face just as the other two let me go. I fall to the ground with a grunt and flex my jaw as they drag me back to my feet.

"Wow. You don't like me." 

"No, I don't. And neither does Nova Prime." The four holding Kraglin and Jay cuff them and then we're being dragged through the streets.

Jay and Kraglin are suddenly being thrown into a large room with their cuffs off and I get kicked in, falling to the floor with my cuffs still on. I get up with Kraglin and Jay's help and see Nova Prime was sitting at the table, waiting for us with the rest of the Ravagers and freed slaves that were in the field. "This was what was left of them?"

"Yes, Ma'am." She nods and motions for us to sit next to the rest of the Ravagers in the large room. I turn to glare at one of the guards and growl at him. He steps forward and hits me across the face with the handle of his blaster, making me stumble to the side a bit. "You should go sit." He growls and I spit a mix of blood and saliva onto his uniform before I go to sit. "Gods, are all Terrans as stupid as you two?"

"Are all Nova Corps members fans of beating people up?" I snarl in response before Yondu and Stakar pull me to sit between them and I look at Nova Prime.

"Is she gonna get her cuffs off?" Dad asks and Nova Prime shakes her head.

"She is much too unpredictable for that to happen." One of the Nova Corps members add my weapons to the pile on the table behind her and hands my arrow to her. She sets it next to Yondu's in front of her and smiles at the two of us. I was trying to pick the lock on the cuffs and jerk when an electric shock goes through my entire body. "I do not suggest trying to free yourself from those cuffs anymore. Each time you do, the shock will be stronger."

"Well, aren't you just a great big ball of fucking sunshine?" The Nova Corpsmen who hit me pressed a button on their wrist and I jerk when another shock goes through me. "Seriously?" He smirks at me and I growl softly before looking at Nova Prime again. "What the fuck do you want?" He sends another shock through me, stronger, and I growl through grit teeth.

"You press that fucking button again, I'm going to tear your damned wrist off and shove it so far up your ass that you can use your cunt licking tongue to press the buttons!" I snarl and he just sends a stronger one through me. Yondu hits me on the side of the head and I look at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Shu' up, girl." He hisses and I clench my jaw to keep my mouth shut. Nova Prime smiles and folds her hands on the table in front of us.

"Now, may I ask why you were all on a sacred field of Xandar?"

"We crashed," Jay explains for us and it's a good thing he does because I was not going to be kind.

"Hell of a place to crash." The guy scoffs and I glare at him.

"We didn't choose the spot, the spot chose us." I grit out as respectfully as I possibly can and he glares at me but doesn't do a shock, so that's a plus.

"Well, I see that you can learn." He smirks at me and I tense, mind starting to go back to that cell with Shakaroth of its own accord. I try to pick the cuffs again and it sends a shock through me, the shock bringing me back to the present where I belong. 

"Why did you not land in the city?"

"We had no control over the rear turbine and we barely managed to keep from crashing into the field. We didn't want to cause any damage to the city or hurt any of the people on the planet." Riv explains and Nova Prime nods slightly.

"Were you able to fix your ship?" She looks at me and I nod shortly, keeping my mouth shut because I'm tired of getting shocked and hit. "Good. Did you pay for the parts? And where did you get them from?"

"Our buyer wishes to remain anonymous, Ma'am," Nora explains and she looks at her.

"Why is that?"

"They didn't tell us, just that they want to remain anonymous." She nods a bit and looks at me.

"Did you go to meet the buyer as well?" I shrug one shoulder and the guy presses the button, a shock going through me.

"Answer the question."

"There's a fifty-fifty chance that I did. Is that a good enough answer?" I glare at him and Nova Prime raises a hand to stop him from pressing the button again, looking at me.

"I will accept it for now. What parts did you need to get?"

"Important parts so that we can get off of your... Lovely planet." She just smiles tightly at me and I return it, hands clenching and unclenching behind my back.

"Are you planning to talk to the parents of the children you recruited onto your crew? The ones that got killed by the Kree?" I clench my hands tightly and the room is eerily silent.

"I haven't thought about it that much, but possibly. If I can find them, that is."

"Why? They are bound to harbor some resentment towards you."

"Wouldn't families that lost their loved ones to battle for the Nova Corps hold resentment towards you for sending them into the deadly battle, too? Does that stop you from apologizing to them for their loss?" I'm about to add another question but think better of it and look at her.

"Those are fair points. I do not recommend trying to find them, however. They have threatened to kill you if they see you in the city. Or around any of the other children with no homes." She stands and gives Yondu back our arrows. "You are all free to go and to take your weapons, however, Nova Corpsmen will guide you back to your ships."

"When will that Captain have the cuffs taken off?" One of the freed slaves, Cal, asks and Nova Prime looks at her then at me.

"When you are all back to your ships." She turns to leave the room and one of the Nova Corpsman grabs my weapons, coming over to me with a creepy smirk as I stand.

"I will take those." Gamora snatches them from his hand and comes over to attach them back where they go while the Corpsman watches. I look at the one who doesn't like me and he raises an eyebrow at me.

"Where's my ring?"

"This one?" He dangles it from his hand and tosses it back up. "You probably stole it so we'll be holding onto it." He puts it in a pocket and Mantis was walking over to him with Rocket. "What do you want?"

"You have very pretty eyes." Rocket pickpockets my ring back and puts it in one of his own, being blocked from view by some of the other Ravagers.

"Get back over there."

"OK." She comes back over to us and that Corpsman was still watching me weirdly. I tap my finger against my palm slightly, getting a bad vibe from him, and Gamora finishes attaching my weapons back where they go. The Corpsmen escort us back to the field and Stakar and Yondu walk on either side of me while Aleta walks behind me, all of them getting a bad vibe from that Corpsman.

When we get outside, Xandarians were waiting for us and they all look pissed to see me leaving the building with the others. "Why are you letting _her_ go?! She killed our children!" My chest seizes up but I continue to walk with the others back to the field and a woman spits on me.

"That was for my little boy! He was just six!" I snap and start to turn towards her to retort when Yondu stops me.

"She ain't worth it, girl... Keep walkin'..." I continue walking with them and Yondu keeps a hand on my upper arm the whole time as an anchor, which really helps.

When we get to the field, I'm yanked away from Yondu roughly and I can tell it's by that bad vibe Corpsman as he runs his fingers over my arms. He uncuffs me after a moment and I step away, turning to look at him as I take a step toward him again. The other Corpsmen had blasters trained on me in an instant and the one that doesn't like me smirks, stepping forward.

"See you again soon." He grabs my arm and literally throws me back into the crowd of Ravagers. Kraglin and Martinex catch me before I fall and I growl, so tempted to just whistle them out of existence. Instead, I stand up and smirk at the Corpsman.

"Tell the wife I said hi." He comes over and swings at me with the blaster handle. I duck under it and roll toward the ship when he tries to kick me. "I would myself but you seem intent to get me off of this shithole, so allow me to indulge you." I walk toward the ship, keeping my eyes on him, and Dad yanks me over, getting me on board before I can get myself blasted out of the realm of the living. The rest of the crew gets on my ship, the Guardians, Captains, and First Mates too, and I run a hand across my mouth since it was miraculously still bleeding from all of the hits to the face I took.

"Fucking asshole..." I mutter under my breath and look at Riv and Vera. "Get us off of this damned planet."

"Aye, Cap'n." They go to pilot us off while I go to my cabin and up into my bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror and spit some blood into the sink before I rinse my mouth out.

"That mouth of yours is going to get you killed!" Dad yells as he appears in the doorway of my bathroom and I spit into the sink, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "You need to learn to filter yourself when you've got blasters pointed at you!" I shove past him and grab my jacket, flinging it over my shoulder as I vaguely notice the rest of my dysfunctional family and husband in the living room part of my quarters. "Are you even listening to me?!" I go down the stairs and go over to get a couple of chilled bottles of Rhone.

"So now you're going to drink your problems away?!" He scoffs and I press them to my shoulders as I sit in a chair. "Oh..."

"Now, you done yelling at me? Because my fucking head hurts and the screaming isn't helping." He sits next to Gamora on the couch and I lean my head back against the back of the chair, closing my eyes. Groot climbs onto my lap and takes the bottles of Rhone, making me open one eye at him.

"I am Groot?" He moves his fingers like he's rubbing something and points to my shoulders.

"You want to rub my shoulders?" He nods and I rub my eyes. "Whatever..." I lift him onto the back of the chair as I lean forward slightly and he rubs my shoulders for me while I rest my head in my hands, having not been kidding about the headache. "Somebody want to dim the lights?" The lights dim and Groot continues to rub my shoulders with no change in my pain level.

"I am Groot?"

"He wants to know if your shoulders feel better."

"Yeah... Thanks, little buddy..." I carefully move him onto my knee and lean back in the chair again. He gently rubs my right wrist and I look at him to see my wrists were a dark red due to the shocks from the cuffs.

"When was the last time you slept?" Jay asks suddenly and I think, counting on my fingers a bit.

"Like... A few hours three days ago... I think... I don't even know anymore..." I rest my elbow on the arm of the chair and rest my chin in my hand, the fingers of my other hand aimlessly tracing the flames on my jacket as my mind wanders all over the place.

I'm brought back to reality by a snap and blink to see Drax in front of my face before I shove him away. "She is back in reality, as Quill put it."

"Are you alright, Rogue?" Gamora asks and I run a hand through my hair.

"I will answer that question with another question. Do you want the generic answer or the truth? Because currently, they are two immensely different things."

"What's the difference?"

"Generic is I'm fine. The truth is that I'm never fine. And somewhere in between is usually that I'll be fine. So they're kinda similar."

"You've got issues," Rocket says and I roll my eyes.

"Ya think?"

"What's the truth this time?"

"Like I said, that I'm never fine and that I want to curl up in a hole and sleep myself to death. Oh, and that I want to punch that pompous bitch in the face. Fucking cunt bucket..." I rub my face and feel something wriggling around in my stomach, feeling my face get warm.

"Ya a'right, girl? Yer face ain't yer normal color..." Yondu looks at me quizzically and I set Groot on the table as I go up to my bathroom calmly. "Wha's she doin'?"

"She's going to go puke." I slam the door to the bathroom and kneel in front of the toilet before emptying the entire contents of my stomach into it. "Told you so." I rest my arm on the edge of the toilet bowl and lean my head against it, pulling my hair away from my face before I'm throwing up more.

After a few minutes, I flush the toilet and push myself to be standing, rinsing my mouth out with water at my sink. I look in the mirror and notice I was very pale and shivering slightly despite being sweaty. I leave the bathroom and grab a blanket from my bed, wrapping it around me tightly before going back down the stairs.

"Ya a'right?" They all look at me and I nod as I sit back down in the chair, tucking my legs underneath me.

"Yeah... I'll be back to normal in a day or so..."

"What is the matter?" Mantis asks and I hold the blanket tighter around me while Groot climbs up to sit on the arm of the chair.

"Remember when I got stabbed by that Skrull? Doc said that I was pregnant but the kid probably hadn't survived?" They nod and Aleta was watching me carefully. "That happened again. When it happened back then, I get sick for a day or so. I just had Doc tell you it was something else." Someone knocks on my door and I nod towards it a bit. "Can someone get that? It's Doc." Dad gets it and Doc hands him some medicine and bottled water, telling him what to have me do. He brings it over to me and hands me the bottled water before handing me a couple of pills.

"He said this would help with nausea and puking. And not to drink any alcohol for a week." I take the pills with a swig of the water and nod while he sits back down by Gamora.

"Gotta follow Doc's orders..." I mutter and close the bottle, leaning against one arm of the chair while Groot's on the other arm.

"I am Groot!" He points up the stairs, looking at me, and I blink at him before just pulling him into the blanket cocoon with me.

"I am not going to go upstairs yet. So deal with it." He didn't look happy but doesn't argue, staying in the blanket with me, and I adjust to sitting sort of properly in the chair, legs crossed in a criss-cross manner so I can lean my head against the back of the chair.

"You should go lay down, Rogue," Dad says carefully and I shrug one shoulder enough they'd be able to see.

"I want to stay down here for a while." He doesn't respond and I close my eyes as they start to talk to each other about random things. I add things to the conversation now and then as I relax, just enjoying being around them and listening to them talk, and smile at some of the stories Jay recounts to us, glad his memories are coming back. Groot leaves the blanket and I fall asleep shortly after he does.

\---------

"I am Groot," Groot whispers to Rocket, pointing at me, and they all look over to see me asleep in the chair, head lolled onto my shoulder.

"Who's going to take her up to bed?" Rocket scoffs and Jay comes over to me, carefully lifting me into his arms. "That works." He snickers and yelps when Gamora hits him in the head. "Hey!" He hisses and glares at her.

"Leave her be. She is sick and is allowed to accept help due to that." Jay carries me up the stairs easily and puts me in bed, covering me up before going back down the stairs, looking worried as he sits back down.

"What's wrong with you?" Dad scoffs and Jay doesn't respond, lost in his thoughts. He hits his arm and he looks at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, she just seemed light..."

"Well, she does try to stay fit." He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"No, too light. An unhealthy amount of light." Jay elaborates and Dad nods a bit.

"She's been worried about you and what she's going to do about the crew. It wouldn't surprise me if she wasn't eating because of it." Jay nods a bit and stands, all of his memories back. "Where are you going?"

"To make sure the ship's running smoothly while she recovers. Y'know, my job." He leaves my quarters and does just that.


	16. Chapter 16

I wake to a very dry mouth and sit up, grabbing the bottle of water on my nightstand. I quickly down it and look at my wrist com on the nightstand to see it looked like I had only been asleep for a couple of hours, but that wouldn't have been right. I shove my blankets off of me and rub my face as I swing my legs over the side of the bed. "Where the Hell are my boots?" I mutter and reach over to slowly turn the lights up a little bit, grabbing my ring from the nightstand before slipping it on. "There they are..." I grab them and yank them onto my feet, still in my leathers. I notice my jacket over a chair and pull it on before stumbling down the stairs, still waking up.

In all of my just woken up glory, I skip a step and tumble down the rest of them, landing in a heap at the bottom. "Ow..."

"Nice goin', girl." Yondu cackles and I pull myself to my feet using the stairs, blinking a bit.

"Screw you, Gramps..." I go over to get my second bottled water since waking up and take a sip. "How long I been sleeping?"

"Day-cycle." Kraglin supplies and I nod a bit, drinking the water tiredly as I lean on the bar, facing them. "Yer still tired?" He scoffs and I set the bottle down, looking at him.

"No... Kind of... I'm still waking up... Leave me alone..." He snickers and I flip him off as I take another drink of the water. "Turn the lights up, will ya?" Rocket turns them up quickly and I grimace at the sudden bright lights. "You're an asshat, y'know that?" He smirks and shrugs. I blink a couple of times and see only Jay was missing. "Jay keeping the ship from exploding?"

"Yep. He's doing 'his job'." Dad rolls his eyes and had his back to me. I mock him childishly and throw a dirty shirt at him. "Why do you even have a shirt down here?!" He spins to look at me and I shrug, going over to sit on the arm of my couch near him. "You have got to clean this place up."

"Yes, you keep telling me that. Do you want me to do it now?"

"Yes."

"I'm not cleaning my quarters with you guys in here."

"Why not?"

"Cuz it's weird."

"No, it isn't."

"Well, I think it is, so screw you." He rolls his eyes and shoves me off of the arm of the couch. "You're a dick, y'know that?" He shrugs and motions for me to start cleaning my quarters. "Alright, get out. You've annoyed me."

"You still aren't a morning person." He smirks and leaves. I grab a boot from nearby and throw it at him, hitting him in the head.

"I'm not a you person. And give me back that boot!" He rubs his head and tosses it back into my quarters before shutting the door, making sure to flip me off as he does. "Ah, yes. The symbol of family with us. We put the fun in dysfunctional. Gods..." I go over to my desk, hungry, and dig around in a couple of drawers. 

"When was the last time you ate?" I grab a protein bar type thing and take a bite.

"Right now." I hold it between my teeth and organize my desk a bit. "Hell is this?" I sniff it and toss it into the trash chute next to my desk since it smelled like death warmed over and it was food. "A failed science project..." 

I finish organizing my desk and smile around the bar in my mouth. 

"What the Hell are you doing?" Rocket scoffs and I turn, taking a bite of the bar as I lean against the desk.

"I'm not good at keeping things clean, OK?"

"You keep your ship spotless and your old room was never this bad."

"Let me rephrase... I'm not good at keeping big areas clean. And of course, my ship is spotless, I don't take anything I don't need aboard it when I have to use it. And my room was only clean because I shoved most of the mess under my bed whenever I got an alert that one of you guys were coming..."

"A wha' now?" Yondu growls and I realize that they had no clue what I was talking about, chuckling nervously.

"Right! You didn't know about that... Um... Well... You see... I might have created a system that I put into the vents on either side of my old room that would alert my wrist com to you, Kraglin, or Dad coming so that I could make my room look clean-ish before you got there. And to hide Jay under my bed or in the bathroom sometimes." Jay walks in as I'm saying this and turns to walk right back out the door.

"No ya don'." Kraglin grabs him by the back of the collar and pulls him into the living room area before letting him go. "Ya know 'bout tha'?"

"No!" He lies terribly and Kralin raises an eyebrow, making Jay grimace a bit. "Maybe...?"

"Rocket's the one that taught me how to do that type of thing." Yondu and Kraglin turn on Rocket and Jay and I make eye contact while I barely nod towards the door. He nods barely and we both carefully inch around them before going through the door. We quickly walk to the hangar but not quickly enough to raise suspicion with the crew and we get the _Winter_ and _Autumn_ ready for upcoming missions since everything was slow right now.

Yondu, Kraglin, and Dad come in and come over to us, any crew leaving at Yondu's barked order. "Well... It looks like today might be the day I die..." Jay chuckles and I just elbow him in the ribs.

"Pay attention to this, you idiot. I have a mission lined up for us in a week-cycle and we need these ships ready." We're both suddenly yanked out of the ship's interior by the collars of our shirts and Yondu looked pissed. "If it helps, I took that alert thing out the day of my wedding." He glares at me and I smile charmingly. "I can give you the system so that you can use it on missions."

"How old were you when you made it?"

"Um... Thirteen or so?"

"So tha' many licks?" Yondu smirks at me and I gape at him, face going kinda pale before I blush red.

"Yondu, come on! I was barely ever in my room so I never had the time to clean it! That's why I made the system!" He chuckles and grabs my shoulder, squeezing it.

"Jus' playin', girl." He cackles at my face and I glare at him. Dad was smirking next to him and Kraglin was laughing from where he was still holding us.

"You guys are asshats!" I yank myself out of Kraglin's hold and Jay does the same as I grab my jacket from the crates nearby. "Fucking assholes!" I stalk out of the hangar as I pull my jacket on and go to do other Captain things.

I go to med and see the freed slaves are huddled up together on a few beds. "Hello." They all look at me and I hold out my palms to show that I had nothing that was going to hurt them. "I just wanted to welcome you aboard my ship."

"What's it called?" A little one asks and I smile at them.

"She's called the _Golden Opportunity_. I've come to see what you guys wanted to do. Do you want to be dropped off on a safe planet or-"

"We want to stay on board this ship. We've heard how the Kree killed the rest of your crew and we want to help you gain it back. Can we stay on board and be part of your crew?" The oldest one, -Cal- probably only about twenty max, asks and I look them over.

"I don't see why not." They cheer and I smile slightly. "Has anyone been in to measure you for clothes or leathers or anything?" They nod and I motion for them to stay while I step away to contact Tor.

_"Yes, Captain?"_

"You measured the people we saved, right?"

_"Yes, Captain, I did. I thought that they might want to get out of the rags the Kree gave them."_

"You couldn't have been more right. I want you to use their measurements to get leathers started for them."

_"They're already in the works, Captain. I thought that they might want to join so I have some ready for some of them."_

"Good. When will they all be done?"

_"Shortly. By the end of the hour."_

"Good. I'll bring them to get their leathers and their patches."

_"Understood, Captain. I shall see you soon."_ I end the transmission and turn to see them watching me nervously.

"As soon as you get your leathers and I help you with your patches, I'll explain the code to you. For now, let's get your names."

Cal introduces all of them to me. There was a Ley, a Rol, a Lin, a Zaj, a Pent, a Phen, a Dia, a Rig, a Bon, a Sig, a Visi, a Det, an Eve, a Ra, a Kin, a Hal, a Sol, a Sta, a Jax, a Dey, and an Ala. Cal was the oldest at twenty, Ala was the youngest at five, and Eve was the second oldest at fifteen. All of them were on the younger side and I look them over again.

"What happened to all of the other people we rescued?"

"They ran when the Nova Corps came to the field this morning." I nod a bit and smile at the twenty-one of them. "Alright, let's go get you your leathers. Follow me." I lead them to Tor's area and they follow. "If you don't mind me asking... How long were you all with the Kree?"

"Since we were babies..." Ala says from my side and I gently pat her head, looking at Cal a bit.

"Well... No need to worry. You won't be going back to the Kree. You're free. You'll be Ravagers soon enough and Ravagers are not slaves under anyone." I go into Tor's area and see him working hard. "You want some help?"

"No offense, my dear Captain, but not from you."

"None is taken." I chuckle and look at the others. "Are any of you good at this type of thing?" Cal and Eve nod, going over to help Tor, and I grab plenty of thread and needles with the patches, following to set them on the counter. "These one's done?"

"Yes, Captain. Their names are sewn into the inside of them."

"Smart." I grab the smallest one and look at the name. "Ala, you're up first, kid." She comes over and I lift her onto the counter, smiling gently at her. "OK, so, I'm going to get the patch started, sewing it onto your jacket. Then you'll finish it up. Alright?" She nods and I start it out, not noticing my dysfunctional family and husband watching me.

"Captain." I look up and Tor was holding bandages out to me.

"Thanks." I chuckle and set them to the side before putting a few more stitches into Ala's jacket. "Alright. You finish it up." She takes it and carefully does. "Make sure they're close to each other." She nods and continues. "Good. Now, Dey, come on over here." Dey comes over and I start on her patch.

"Alright, gather around. the Ravagers Code is what Ravagers live by. Rule one, we steal from anybody and everybody to get paid. I don't give a damn who it is. We'll steal from your shitty family, the Kree, the Skrulls, Nova Corps, Nova Prime, I don't fucking care who the Hell it is, we're gonna steal from them. But, we do not steal from our own. Ravagers do not steal from other Ravagers. Honor amongst thieves and all that fun shit." I hand Dey her jacket and she finishes sewing it on easily. "Well, damn, you make that look easy." She shrugs and I grab Jax's jacket, motioning him over before he comes over while I start on the patch.

"Rule two, don't kill each other on the ship unless you have a damned good reason. I'll do it if I need to make an example out of somebody. If there's an enemy onboard the ship, kill their asses so badly that when they go into their next life, they're dead then too." I give Jax his jacket and he sews the patch on the rest of the way slowly. "Tighten the stitches up a bit." He nods and does that while I grab Sta's jacket, motioning her over.

"Rule three, as I said with rule one, we steal for a living. We do not ever deal in people or kids, especially kids. We do not treat living and sentient, thinking, beings as cargo. Ever. We aren't slavers and we aren't going to act like it." I give Sta her jacket and she finishes it up while I watch for a moment. I grab Sol's jacket and motion him over, starting his.

"Rule four, it's the same as rule three but with sex. We don't go to brothels with any living beings because that's another form of slavery. We only go to robot brothels and don't step anywhere near the other kind." I give Sol his jacket and he finishes it while I get a good look at him and Sta, noticing they look similar. "Hal, you're up." He comes over and I start to sew the patch on.

"You break the Code, you'll be off of my ship and out of the Ravagers faster than you can blink. Understand?" They all nod and I hand Hal his jacket, watching him finish up the patch for a moment before I grab the next one. "Kin." Kin comes over and watches me sew the patch on.

"This isn't part of the Code, but it kinda goes hand in hand with rule three, in my opinion. The Ravagers may be a giant group of thieves, but at least we don't do the shit the Kree and Skrulls do. You know what that means?" They look at me and shake their heads, confused. "It means we're better than those asshats. Any time you're tempted to break one of the last two rules of the Code, remember that. We don't work with slavers or deal with anyone who supports slavery. So, to put it simply..." I hand Kin his jacket and look at them as he starts to sew it on the rest of the way.

"Fuck those asshats and they can kiss our fucking asses. Right?" They nod, smiling a bit, and I nod back before picking up the next jacket. "Ra, you're next." She comes over and I start to sew her patch on. "Damn, by the time I'm done, I'm not going to have any blood left in my hands..." I mutter under my breath and Ra giggles, making me smile a bit, giving her a small wink. She giggles and takes the jacket when I hand it to her, fingers working quickly and easily to finish it up.

"Damn, girl! You make that look easy!" I chuckle and she just smiles brightly at me. "Visi, you're up, kid." She comes over and watches as I start to sew the patch on, pricking my finger numerous times.

"You're bad at this." I snort and she looks at me as I hand her jacket to her.

"Yeah, well, I didn't pay a lot of attention to Segs when he tried to teach me it because I was more interested in being in the hangar. I can stitch myself and others up fine, but when it comes to clothes... Yeah, not as good." I chuckle and grab the next one, looking at the name. "Det." She comes over and watches me, finishing when I hand it to her.

By the time all of them have patches on their jackets, my fingers were bleeding a lot and I bandage them up, flexing them a bit. "Yer still bad a' tha'." Yondu cackles and I roll my eyes a bit as I turn to look at all of them.

"Trust me, I know. How long have you guys been there?"

"The whole time." Jay smiles and I roll my eyes a bit again, running a hand through my hair.

"What's that thing?" Ala asks and I look at her to see her pointing at my head before I lift my hair, showing off my implant. "Cool! What is it?" I chuckle and just whistle, my arrow soaring out from under my jacket to soar around above us, my implant glowing blue while she giggles. "COOL! Can you make it do tricks?"

"Like what?" She shrugs and I shrug back, crouching to be a bit more level with her. "What tricks should I have it do, kid?"

"Spinning stuff?" I mouth that and shrug one shoulder, whistling a soft tune to make it turn tip over fletchings slowly. "Cool!" She smiles brightly and I make it do some loops high up in the air.

"Captain, while your arrow's up there, could you get the new spool of thread?" Tor asks and I shrug, whistling to get it for him. It knocks it off of its pole and it lands in Tor's waiting palm. "Thank you, dear Captain." I nod and stand, whistling to have my arrow do a lap around the room before settling in its holster after I move my jacket to the side, settling it back over it once it's in its holster.

"He has one of those too!" Ala points to Yondu and he chuckles.

"Yeah, Ah do. Bu' I ain't gonna do tha' shit yer Cap'n did." He moves his jacket to show them his arrow and she smiles, finding it so cool.

"You'd be good in weapons or tech." She looks at me and I shrug one shoulder. "You're interested in the weapons, it seems like it would be a good fit." She nods and I look at Jay. "You doing anything right now?"

"Not right now, no."

"Good. Cuz you're helping me give the tour." He looks a little shocked but nods and turns to leave Tor's space. "Follow us." I walk out of Tor's space and remember something, pausing before the door as I turn to look at them. "What do you say to Tor?" They look at me confused and I mouth 'thank you' before they all say it to Tor.

"You are all welcome, dears." He smiles at them and climbs up to take a nap while they look at me as they follow me out of his space with my family.

"Why'd we have to say that?"

"There are..." I count a few people off on my hand and walk next to Jay. "Tor, Doc, Coop, me, and Jay..." I murmur to myself and start to speak where they can hear me.

"There are five people that you'll use manners with. Tor because he makes your clothes, Doc because he keeps you from dying, Coop because he feeds you, Jay because he's your First Mate, and me because I'm you Captain. Be respectful with the heads of the teams, don't cuss them out because you don't like how they want you to do something. They've been on this ship longer and have been Ravagers longer. They'll be working with all of you and will choose you for their teams if they think you'll be a good fit for them. Did they introduce themselves while you were in med?" I turn to walk backward and they nod. "Good." I turn to walk forward again and give them the tour.

When the tour's over, I look at them and hook my thumbs in my belt loops, outside of the First Mate's quarters. "Any questions?" Eve raises a hand and I look at him. "What's up?"

"Where do we sleep?"

"Find an empty room and it's yours. Except for this one." I kick the door and Jay looks at me.

"I'd hope that wasn't empty since it's mine." He chuckles nervously and I shrug one shoulder, a small smirk on my face. "Why do I get the feeling that I shouldn't like that smirk?"

"These aren't your quarters anymore. Nebula and Riv are using it for security, tech, and Nav stuff."

"Why, exactly? Am I still First Mate?"

"Yes, Jay. You're still my First Mate. Calm down and use the brain in your skull, dude." I roll my eyes and look at the crew. "You're free to go." The kids leave while Cal and Eve kinda linger around a corner, curious, and I chuckle softly, leaning against the shut door.

"What'd you do with my stuff?" Jay narrows his eyes at me and I just smirk patiently, crossing my arms over my chest. "Rogue!" He hisses, noticing the older two, and I chuckle softly.

"Jay, where else would I put your stuff?"

"The trash chute?" Dad snickers and we glare at him while Yondu hits him in the head.

"Thank you. No, Dad." I look at Jay again and wait patiently for him to figure it out. He furrows his eyebrows for a moment then raises them and looks at me, shocked. "Figure it out?"

"You moved my stuff to your quarters without asking?" He hisses, pissed, and I just smile charmingly, making him calm down.

"You come into them after the crew's asleep and leave before they wake up. You don't get enough sleep like that. So, I put a stop to it. You are very welcome." I push off of the door and gently pat his face. "Now, get back to work. And take the hopeless romantics there with you." I smirk at the two of them and they smile sheepishly before running off. Jay chuckles and pecks my forehead.

"Aye, Cap'n." He goes off to do things and Dad had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Don't even try it, Dad." I spin on my heel and go towards controls.

"What? I can't give you a bit of payback after all these years?" He yells after me and I flip him off with both hands, making him laugh. I rub my hands together, since they kinda cold, and I decide to send a message to Tor asking him to contact me when he wakes up. I do anything that I absolutely need to do before sitting in my Captain's chair in controls and look through holopads for a mission in a week-cycle.

A few hours later, I get a message from Tor and go to his area, seeing him waiting for me. "Hello, dear Captain. How can I be of help to you?"

"Would you be able to make me some gloves? I don't want the kind that I have for Contraxia or winter on Terra, but more like what Kraglin wears." I then realize that I have copied Kraglin and Yondu more than I have copied Dad and hum softly in thought.

"I can do that. What has taken you so long to get gloves like the others?" I shrug and he grabs a pair of gloves that matched my leathers, handing them to me. "Here you are, dear Captain." I look them over and slip them on my hands, flexing my hands slightly. "They will still allow you to operate the holopads as you do now." I nod and smile a bit.

"Thanks, Tor. Go back to sleep for a while. You've earned it today." He nods and climbs back up to his bed as I leave. I go back to controls and sit back in my seat, looking through some missions again.

"HEY!" Someone barks and I swivel my chair towards the door to see Del making Zaj run away from where she was watching me. "Cap'n." Del nods at me and goes back to whatever he was doing before.

"Hmm..." I go back to what I was doing, leaning on the arm of my chair, and hear heavy footsteps come in.

"Cap'ns," Del says before running off and I keep looking through the holopad until the footsteps stop around me.

"Hello again." I look up at the Captains, First Mates, and Guardians. "You guys do remember you have your own crews and ships to deal with, right?" Yondu hits me on the side of the head and I just smile as I stand, slipping the holopad into my pocket for now. "Kidding, kidding. Whatcha need?"

"Tha' system?" I nod and think for a second.

"It's in my quarters. Let me get it and I'll send it to you." I go to do that and hear Yondu follow with Kraglin, rolling my eyes a bit. I go inside my quarters and activate my visor to help me find it more easily, looking around in my desk drawers. "It should be in here..." I crouch and grab a bunch of holopads from a bottom drawer, setting them on my desk before I start going through them.

"AH-HA! Found it!" I smile and send an exact copy to Yondu before turning to see them waiting by the door. "Alright, just sent it to you." He nods and leaves, shutting the door behind him. Kraglin stays behind and sits at the bar.

"C'mon." He nods his head at another seat and I sit next to him, looking at him. "How ya feelin'?"

"Feel fine. No nausea, dizziness, none of that stuff."

"Naw, naw... Feelin' feelin', girl?" He motions at his chest and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You... You mean, like, emotionally?" He nods and I think, not sure how to answer that. "Huh... I have no clue." I shrug and start to stand. "Anyway, good talk. Thanks." He pulls me back to be sitting and I sit, looking at him. "What?"

"In tha' room. Ya had them cuffs on an' ya got all stiff 'fore ya tried ta git them cuffs off. Wha' ya do tha' fer?" He looks at me fiercely and I run a hand through my hair, humming very softly in thought.

"Something that prick Nova Corpsman said just triggered something and I was starting to go back to that cell with Shakaroth." I shrug one shoulder and he was watching me intently. "Don't worry, that shock sent the memory back where it belongs."

"Jay tol' me ya whistle in yer sleep, bu' yer arrow don' fly?" He raises an eyebrow and I shrug a bit.

"I guess..." He motions for me to talk and I rub my face, sighing. "Alright, back on Terra for Christmas, Yondu talked to me cuz Stakar told him I hadn't been sleeping great, which I hadn't..."

"An' now?"

"It's better..." He nods and motions for me to continue. I rest my elbow on the bar and put my head in it, tilting it to the side a bit as I look at him. "I'd been having nightmares about Shakaroth on that ship with that whip... Yondu told me to think up him whistling him dead or anyone else to kill him... I'm guessing when I whistle in my sleep it's Yondu killing him..." I shrug and he nods, reaching over to gently squeeze my shoulder. I wince a bit and he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to get Jay to help me with them tonight, don't worry. Groot tried but it didn't help. I just I told him it did." He nods and pats my knee.

"A'right, girl. Jus' know... We, uh... We cares 'bout ya, a'right?" He says awkwardly and I smile at him.

"I care about you guys, too. Thanks..." He nods and leaves me at the bar, unable to drink. My door opens again and I look over to see Stakar and Aleta coming in. "Oh, Gods..." I drop my head onto the bar and they scoff.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you weren't happy to see us." Stakar sits in the seat Kraglin had left and Aleta stands behind the bar.

"Because I'm getting a sinking feeling that you guys are going to do something stupid and wind up dead." I lift my head and look at them. "Whatcha need to say?"

"We're just trying to make sure you're truly as fine as you say you are," Aleta explains and I nod a bit. "And we understand what it's like to lose children..." I look at them, surprised, and they just nod silently.

"I'm sorry..." They shake their heads and I stop talking, resting my hands on my thighs.

"You don't need to apologize. They've been gone for a long time." Stakar pats my knee and I nod a bit. "You wouldn't be fine after learning you've lost a child. So, how are you really?" I blow out a slow breath and rub my face, having to think about that.

"I honestly probably won't know that until tonight, after I've cleaned my quarters... When nothing else needs to be done... When the thoughts are the loudest and impossible to drown out..." I run a hand through my hair and rub the back of my neck carefully, swallowing past a small lump in my throat. They nod a bit and I clear my throat awkwardly. "I'm not good with emotions and this type of thing... Is, um... Is there anything else you need?" They look at each other then at me and I look between them a bit.

"No. We're going to be leaving. You should escort us to the hangar, be polite." I nod and stand, motioning for them to go ahead of me. They head out of my quarters and I follow, seeing the others waiting for us.

"You guys all heading out?" They nod and I nod back, glancing at Aleta slightly. "I'll escort you to the hangar, then." I lead them and with each step, I feel more dread.

When we get to the hangar, I feel like I'm drowning in dread and everyone pauses in the hangar, empty besides us. Dad runs a hand through his hair and the silence was awkward, but no one knew how to fill it, least of all me. "I am Groot!"

"Groot, buddy, you can't stay on Rogue's ship." Rocket says softly and I feel more dread, feeling a panic attack coming on as one of my nervous ticks amps up, fingers tapping against my palms. "You alright, kid?" They all look at me and I was pale, breath coming in short, quick bursts. Mantis comes over and gently grabs my face, helping me calm down.

I blink a few times and my breathing slows down while I look at her in confusion. "What just happened?"

"You were panicking. Why were you panicking?" She looks at me as she lets go of my face, confused too, and I furrow my eyebrows slightly.

"I... I dunno... I just... Had a bad feeling... And... This happened..." I look at all of them and the dread was still weighing heavily on me. "Where are you guys going and what the Hell are you going to do?"

"Tha' ain't none 'a yer bus'ness, girl!" Yondu growls and I glare at him.

"Like Hell, it isn't! You're my damned family and I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen! So explain! NOW!" Aleta suddenly hits me across the face and I fall to the floor, shocked.


	17. Chapter 17

"We have undeniable proof that you've been dealing in kids!" She pulls two holopads out of her pocket and one of them had payments toward my ship for the transportation of sentient beings, plus videos of me accepting units from apparent slavers. Everyone was looking at me, disappointed and disgusted(minus Mantis and Groot, who looked sad and like they wanted to help me), and I stand carefully. "And this holopad is from your quarters!" She shows me and it was one I had never seen before, despite all of them looking the same. "It has the units that they're willing to pay you and who they want you to bring to them!"

"I did not break the Code..." She hits me again and I just stumble a bit but manage to stay standing this time.

"How dare you?" She growls and plays a video on the holopad between me and one of the apparent slavers on a planet I've only been to a couple of times.

_"This is what you're giving me? Isn't it more than what we agreed on originally?"_

 _"We worked something out for a higher price, remember?"_ There's silence after that and I nod slowly.

 _"Right, you're right. I guess I just forgot... Pleasure doing business with you."_ I shake hands with them and take the units onto my ship before Aleta stops the video.

"Are you going to continue to deny it?"

"Yes, I am... I got paid by that guy for... For, um..." I wrack my brain to try to remember and can tell they aren't believing me. "I keep all former mission holopads on the _Winter_ , let me just grab them and I can prove that I didn't do this..."

"Why would you put your true cargo on the holopad?" Charlie-27 glares at me and I feel my chest constrict.

"Get them," Stakar growls and I quickly get onto the _Winter_ , grabbing the holopads from their drawer before taking them back out. I narrow the pile down quickly and find the picture of the guy, handing it to Stakar without looking at the list of cargo because I was sure it wouldn't have any kids or sentient beings on it.

"See? It was for some stupid knick-knack thing. He offered a few thousand units then paid a few million. I didn't de-" I'm cut off my Stakar suddenly pinning me against a wall by the collar of my jacket and he shoves the holopad in my face.

"Read it," He growls and I read through the list, face draining when there were two kids' names at the bottom with their pictures with a big stamp saying 'RUNAWAYS' across their faces. "You sold him Sol and Sta. Then had the nerve to act as if you had rescued them. You're no better than the Kree or the Skrulls." He snarls and throws me to the floor. I take a second to get up, struggling, and have to use a nearby crate.

"Rogue, you are officially exiled from the Ravagers, there are only one hundred seats at my table. You may wear our flames, but you aren't one of us. Not anymore." He turns to leave and I suddenly have my sword at his throat to stop him, not going to let this happen without getting my side of the story out while the others train their blasters on me.

"I did not deal in kids! I did not know about this! And I don't know how this happened! I would never jeopardize my standing with any of you to get rich! That mission and deal with that slimeball happened after I hadn't slept at all for three days! I thought that we had talked about a higher price for the knick-knack and I forgot due to lack of sleep! I had no clue about the kids and I never would have accepted if I did!" He looks at me calmly through my short rant and I vaguely notice the tears coming from my eyes.

"Stakar... I would never do that... I didn't know... I didn't..." I say weakly and lower the blade, dropping it before my arm drops to my side. "I swear..." Everything hits me at once then. The after-effects from the panic attack, the hits to the face, the pain from getting slammed to a wall, and the shock of being exiled from the only family I ever really trusted and loved. I fall hard to my knees and collapse in on myself, in a disassociated state now.

\--------

All of the crew Stakar sent over from other clans (the heads, Coop, Tor, and Doc, Nebula was the only one who stayed) left for their old clans at the news of me allegedly dealing in kids and what was left was now standing in the doorway of the hangar, watching. Jay pushes his way in just in time to see me collapse and rushes over, gently grabbing my face to lift it. "Rogue?" I stare at nothing and he tries to get me to focus on him. "Hey, sweet girl, come on... Focus on me... Please..." I stare at nothing still and he stands to look at the other Ravagers and Guardians.

"What did you do to her?"

"Confronted her with the evidence."

"Evidence of what, Quill?"

"She dealt in kids."

"No, she didn't! She would never do that!" Aleta shows him the video then the holopad with Sol and Sta at the bottom of the short cargo list and he looks at it. "That guy was a slimeball. He never contacted her about a bump in the pay and she never contacted him. One of the crew must've done it."

"Which one?" He looks at the crew that was left and sees one of them trying to slink off.

"Grab him!" He barks and all of them grab him, throwing him into the hangar. He goes over and drags him over, throwing him to their feet. "I'd have to guess old Ser here. What's your criminal background like, Ser? I know the Captains have it, I just don't know if they looked at it. In fact..." He gets onto the _Winter_ and pulls open a drawer, grabbing a holopad before coming back out.

"Let's see... Ser Reslori." He scrolls through the holopad and stops after a moment, glaring down at him. "You got caught a couple of times selling kids to slavers. You got off easy, too." He suddenly presses his boot onto his throat and his glare gets harder. "You contacted the slimeball, didn't you?" Ser barely nods and he presses down on his throat more. "You tell him it was Captain you were talking for?" He nods again and he growls low in his throat.

"You set her up for exile?"

"She's a Terran! She didn't deserve to be a Captain in the first place!" He snarls and Jay moves his foot.

His head is suddenly gone and everyone looks over at where I was kneeling with my blaster in my hands, in between a disassociated state and a normal state of mind. "Rogue..." I look at Jay, expression blank, and he slowly comes over. "I'm going to take your blaster..." He slowly takes the blaster from my hands and I let him, resting them on my knees now. He carefully kneels in front of me and slowly grabs my hands. I look at them and he squeezes them gently.

"You alright, sweet girl?" He asks carefully and I look at him a bit, making him smile a tiny bit. I fall forward, unconscious, and he catches me. "Whoa... Rogue... Hey, wake up..." He gently pats my face and, when that doesn't work, swings me into his arms before standing up, looking at the crew. "Is Doc still onboard?" They shake their heads and he sighs, turning to look at the Ravagers and Guardians.

"Thanks. Because of your accusation of her dealing in kids, we don't have a Doc on board the ship." Yondu starts to open his mouth and Jay just interrupts him. "Because of you guys, I have to find a way to help my wife and Captain get back to normal! Because you couldn't trust her!" He yells at them and turns to go to med. "Anyone good in med, follow me!" He barks and Tex follows. The rest of the crew glares at the people left in the hangar before following, wanting to help in any way they can.

\----------

When I come too, I'm in med and can feel wires attached to me. I reach to pull them off but a hand stops me and I open my eyes, seeing Jay, the twenty-one new members, Tex, and any other crewmembers that stayed. I carefully sit up slightly and leave the wires alone. "Everyone but Sol, Sta, and Jay get out." They all listen to me and Jay shuts the door behind them.

"Yes, Cap'n?" I look at the two of them and my throat is suddenly tight, not able to form words right away.

"I... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I gasp after a moment and they look at me, worried. "You guys got away... And because I didn't make sure everything checked out, you got sold back to the Kree... I am so sorry..." They climb onto the bed and just hug me. I hug them back after a moment and rest my head against each of theirs for a moment. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's OK, Cap'n. You didn't know." They say gently and I let out a sob at that. They hug me tighter and I reciprocate it, crying silently.

The door suddenly opens and I let the kids go, wiping my face quickly. Jay steps between my bed and the door to bar the Captains, Guardians, Kraglin, and Martinex from getting any closer to me and I set the kids on the floor. "Go find Cal and Eve, OK?" They nod and go to do that, glaring at the others as they do. I take a steadying breath and sit up fully to prepare for whatever this is about.

"Jay, let them pass," I say gently and Jay growls before he comes over to sit by me while they stand around my bed.

"How, um... How ya feelin', girl?" Yondu asks carefully and I just shrug one shoulder before regretting it since I hit it hard when Aleta hit me to the floor earlier, wincing a bit. "Ya hurt?" I stare at him incredulously and nod a bit. 

"Yes, Captain Udonta, I am hurt. Because Captain Aleta Ogord hit me to the floor then hit me again. Because Captain Stakar Ogord pinned me against a wall then threw me to the floor. Then he exiled me from the first real family I've had since I was three and I fell to my knees, hurting the Hell out of them. So, yeah. I'm a little fucking HURT!" I bellow the last word, pissed, and they look at me, having the decency to at least look a little guilty.

"Oh, not to mention the fact that my FATHER didn't stick up for me when I got accused of the most heinous thing! How fucking dare any of you think that I would ever break the fucking Code?! If you think that I'd throw away everything just to get rich, then you can have these fucking flames back!" I grab my jacket from the chair Jay was on and throw it at them. "Because if you think that low of me, I don't want to be part of your little fucking group! Now get the fuck out!" I bellow and Yondu stoops down, grabbing my jacket off of the floor. He holds it in his hand, looking at it for a moment before he looks up at me, and clears his throat awkwardly.

"Ya 'member tha' day m'crew picked ya up on Terra?" I glare at him and he just continues, laying the jacket over my feet.

"Ya was jus' a lil' 'un... Bu' ya was still fightin' with all ya had in yer lil' body... Ya kep' hittin' Krags ta try ta run in tha' place... An' Krags said ya was insane... Ya 'member that?"

"Yes, it's hard to forget because I had to keep running in to get medicine that would keep me alive on Terra and I kept having random people grab me and treat me like I was a rag doll." He chuckles and rubs a hand across the back of his neck.

"Rogue." I look at Dad and raise an eyebrow at him, crossing my arms over my chest as much as I can due to the damned wires in my arm. "You've got to understand, that video made it look like you did that. And the fact that they were on the list made it worse."

"Give me my boots." Jay hands them to me and I throw them both at his head. He ducks for the first one but the second one hits him and he rubs his head as he stands. "You're all lucky I ran out of boots! Because you all need a fucking boot to the damned skull for being that fucking stupid! Except for Mantis and Groot." I look at them and my eyes land on the two of them.

"Thank you for helping me out of that panic attack, Mantis, I appreciate it." Groot climbs onto the bed and sits next to me.

"I am Groot!" We all look at Rocket and he rubs his face.

"Yeah, yeah... You told us she wouldn't have done that..."

"I am Groot!"

"Mantis did too, yeah..."

"I am Groot," Groot says smugly and I snort a bit.

"Yeah, yeah... You told us so..."

"You guys should listen to Groot and Mantis more often since it seems like they have more brain cells than the rest of you put together currently." I gently pat Groot's head and he smiles up at me, making me smile back a tiny bit, just a small quirk of the corner of my mouth.

"We should have known you wouldn't have done it. We're sorry, Alright?" Dad looks at me and I rub my face, nodding a bit.

"Alright. Now, I need to get some rest. Please leave." I start to lay back down and Jay escorts them out. I activate the privacy shield around my bed, making sure the noise blocking part was activated too, and breathe shakily, close to crying again. "Gods..." I whimper and gently touch my face where Aleta hit me, wincing before moving my hand away from it quickly.

"Rogue, you want anyone to visit you?" I deactivate the sound part and take a steadying breath before speaking."

"Just Tex. He's good in med and will be the new Doc. Find new leads for the teams, a new whatever Tor was, and a new cook. Got it?"

"Got it. Rest up, Rogue. Tex will check on you now and then." I hear him leave and activate the sound part again, closing my eyes to rest.

I wake a little later to Tex deactivating the privacy shield and I blink as I sit up. "Whoa, take it easy, Cap'n."

"I don't like to lay down while people look me over. I'm sitting up." He carefully helps me and I grimace a bit in pain when he touches my back.

"Yeah, your back is covered in bruises, Cap'n. The worst injuries are to your knees. I'm gonna check those now." He moves the blanket and I finally realize I was in a med gown, raising an eyebrow at him. "Jay did it, Cap'n. He didn't allow anyone else to see you while he was doing it." I nod a bit and my knees were swollen badly. He carefully applies something to take the swelling down and I look at him.

"So, what's wrong with them?"

"Um, the things that keep them where they're supposed to be are hurt. I'm going to put these things on them to help support your legs until they're healed. I wouldn't put any weight on them unless these are on." He holds up a couple of braces and I nod before he sets them down nearby carefully. "There's not a lot I can do for your face or back, but I can give you some cream to help with the bruises and numb the pain if you want?"

"Nah. Am I able to get back to it with these on?" He nods and I carefully swing my legs out of the bed, breathing slowly when pain shoots up my legs. "Good. Get Jay for me so I can get dressed."

"I can help if you'd like, Cap'n. Just to keep you steady so you don't fall again." He says quickly and I raise an eyebrow at him. "Just trying to be a good Doc, Cap'n."

"Alright. Hand me my pants." He hands them to me and I carefully pull them onto my legs on high as they can without me standing. He gently helps me up and I pull them on the rest of the way while he keeps me steady, privacy shield activated again. I sit back down once they're on and closed up and he carefully puts the braces on my knees.

"Alright, Cap'n. You're good to go. Be careful and try not to do anything too, um... Stren... Difficult." He chuckles and I chuckle softly. "I'm going to study some of the holopads Jay got me." He leaves to do that and I reactivate the privacy shield behind him before I finish getting dressed. He had left my boots and I pull them on carefully.

I deactivate the privacy shield as I stand and carefully walk out of med, holding onto the wall or railing when I go down the stairs to go to the hangar. I see the other Captains, the Guardians, and the three First Mates in there and Jay was on the floor, nose bleeding and probably broken with Dad having blue blood on his hand. I walk over as quickly as I can and punch Dad in the face, making his nose bleed.

"What the fuck, Rogue?" He puts a hand up to his nose and blood seeps through his fingers. I ignore him and look at Jay as he gets up.

"What the Hell happened?" He glares at Dad and I snap, making him look at me again. "Well?!"

"A disagreement with your Dad. That's all." I raise an eyebrow at him and he wipes a hand under his nose to get rid of the blood there. "I was just trying to understand how he could be stupid enough to think you'd deal in kids." I grab him by the collar and pull him close.

"I can handle myself. I am not a damsel in distress and you will not treat me as though I am. Go see Tex about your nose and then your cleaning all of the ships in here, inside and out. Clear?"

"Yes, Captain." I let him go and he goes to do as he's told.

"What the Hell is on your legs?" I turn to see Rocket cackling and I glare at him.

"I screwed up the things that will keep my knees in place when I fell earlier. So these are to keep me from screwing them up more and to allow me to do things that I need to do. So, fuck you. Why are you guys still here?" I look at them and Stakar reaches a hand out to grab my shoulder. I take a step back from them and he lowers his hand.

_"To let you know that you are not exiled,"_ Krugarr explains and I just nod, jacket and gloves on. _"And to apologize..."_

"It's fine. I've got stuff to do. So, I'll be seeing you." I start to walk away and someone grabs my shoulder, stopping me. My body moves on its own accord and I fling my elbow back before hooking my ankle around their leg while pushing them backward with my shoulder, pushing their body onto the floor. That causes so much pain in my knee and I barely manage to catch myself on a nearby crate before it gives out.

"Damnit..." I growl and try to breathe through the pain, noticing Yondu getting up from the floor while all of them were watching me as I sit on the crate. My right leg was splayed out in front of me and I couldn't bend it like my left one. "Fucking Hell..." I try to bend it and growl loudly in pain, stopping. I carefully stand and look at them.

"I have things to do and missions to find for my crew. I will see all of you at some other time. Please get off my ship." I growl and don't wait for a response, starting to walk out of the hangar with difficulty. Eve comes over and walks next to me.

"Cap'n, do you want some help?" He asks softly and I get out of the hangar, leaning against the wall to the side.

"No. Just... Just give me a minute."

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"I can't bend my knee right now. When we go up those stairs, you walk behind me. Clear?" He nods and I push off of the wall, going over to the stairs. I carefully ascend them, gripping the railing tightly, and he follows.

It takes a little while, but we get up them and I go to controls, sitting in my chair. "Oh, Jay wanted me to give this to you." He hands me a holopad and I look at it, raising an eyebrow at him after a moment. "For the new heads of the teams."

"I see. Go back to whatever you were doing before." He nods and leaves controls. I look over the names and nod a bit. Cal was going to be working with Eve in Tor's old area, Val was the new lead mechanic, Clover was the new cook, Del was the new lead pilot, Pan was the new lead gunner, and the new lead Nav was Zaj, a fourteen-year-old female. He also gave Vin the lead engineer position and Jaz the lead tactician and strategist position, which is a good idea to have both of them. I nod and confirm their new positions, making sure they all knew with a message to the wrist coms Nebula provided for them.

I get messages back confirming they were aware and I nod, looking at a mission as I'm finally able to bend my knee again. "Thank Gods..." I mutter under my breath and look at the holopad from earlier.

"Captain." I look up and swivel my chair to see Jay waiting in the doorway, hair wet. "The ships are clean."

"Already?"

"It's been three hours since you told me to clean them, Captain." I nod a bit and stand carefully. "Clover has food ready." I nod and we go to mess together, getting food.

"Cap'n?" I look to see Eve looking at me from the end of the food line and raise an eyebrow slightly. "Jay was telling us who sat with the two of you. I just want to hear it from you, if that's alright..."

"Alright. All leads of the teams sit with the Captain, First Mate, and their family if their family is on board. Any other questions, Eve?" He shakes his head and we sit at the table, me at the head of it and Jay to my right while the leads fill the other seats as I eat.

"Thank you, Cap'n." I look at Zaj and raise an eyebrow at her. "I know that I'm young for a lead Nav... Thank you..."

"Thank Jay. He saw your potential and I trust his judgment." Zaj looks at Jay and smiles a bit while I go back to eating.

"Thank you, Sir..." He just nods and eats. I look over the crew in mess and count silently.

"Thirty..." I murmur under my breath and rub my face a bit as I finish my food. "Thirty-two with me and Jay... That should hopefully be enough crew for a while..." I lean back in my seat and drink the water that everyone gets given during meals, one could also get coffee at any time. Jay glances at me and raises an eyebrow slightly. I wave him off with a lift of my fingers from the glass of water and he barely nods while I finish the water off before I put them on the cart. I go to do Captain things and they all go to do their things when they finish eating.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the braces are finally able to come off because my knees have healed fully, it's been two month-cycles and Tex clears me for missions, since I had been grounded to the ship until I was healed because I couldn't move quickly without pain. I line up a mission to steal an artifact from a tribal area on O'erlanii, where the A'askvarii are from, and take it to Jaz so he can make a plan for it. He looks it over and nods a bit.

"We should send a small team of four and someone from med to stay behind on the ship. You'd be on the team and one of Del's pilots would take you down. Then you have three more people to take with you." I nod and lean back in the chair a bit. "I'd take Vin, Lin, and Dia. They're all great shots and great thieves. You're the smallest one of the group, though, so you'd be in the vents to get the artifact and you'd pass it on to Dia because she's fast."

"Alright. Good plan, Jaz." I stand and pat his shoulder as I leave. "We're going with it."

"Thank you, Cap'n." I go to round up the crew and leave Jay in charge before heading to the hanger.

"Cap'n, Rin is going to be piloting you down and Pent is going to be your med," Del explains and I nod.

"Alright, good. Let's go. I'll explain what'll happen as we go." We board the _Winter_ because it was the stealthiest ship in the hangar and Rin carefully pilots us out. "Rin, if you mess the ship up, it can be fixed. Relax." He nods and relaxes as he pilots.

"Alright. Here's the plan. I'll be going into the vents to get the artifact because I'm the smallest." Dia raises her hand and I look at her.

"What about your tits? They look big!" I chuckle softly and shake my head a bit.

"I'm good at binding them down. I just need to do that and I can move through the vents as if I were ten. Alright?" She nods and I smile. "Alright. I'll get the artifact then pass it on to you, Dia. The three of us will cover you and you just need to run back to the ship as fast as possible. While I'm in the vents, you cover me and keep the area that we'll be using for a getaway clear. Got it?" They all nod and I nod back. "Good."

Rin lands and I take my jacket and shirt off to bind my breasts down before putting the clothes back on, everyone's backs to me. I attach a rope to my belt loop and a hook to attach to the vent to get into the vault. "Alright. We ready?" They nod and I lead the way off of the ship, binding my Katana Saya(scabbard) to my leg. "Let's get it." I lead the way to the hit and we're all being silent as we move through the trees.

When we get to the building, the back was empty and I go over to the vent with Lin, who was strong enough to lift me easily. He gives me a boost and I take the vent covering off before pulling myself in. I activate my visor to see the map and crawl quietly through the vents.

I get to the vault and carefully open the vent covering, attaching the hook to the vent wall and looping the rope around it. I yank on it and it stays, nodding in satisfaction. I carefully slide down the rope and grab the artifact, slipping it into a pouch as an alarm goes off. "Shit!" I climb up the vent and close it right as someone comes in. I deactivate the hook from the wall and take it and the rope with me as I leave the vent, wearing my magnetic gloves to make it faster.

"Dia!" I hiss as I drop onto the ground outside of the vent and go towards her, passing her the pouch with the artifact. She runs, very fast, and Lin and Vin come over to help me cover her. We blast some A'askvarii as we run back through the trees and I slice some tentacles off. We get onto the ship and Rin pilots us off of the planet while Pent looks us over.

"Cap'n, you're bleeding, I can smell the iron. But I can't find the source of the bleeding." I pat myself down and take my jacket off. He checks me over and was very confused before I realize.

"Damn. I know what it is. I'm fine." I go over to the bathroom on the ship and get a pad, having started my period. I pop a couple of pain relievers and eat a protein bar because of the instructions as I head back out. Pent looks at me, worried, and I smile reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine. Rin, dock us on the _Golden Opportunity_. Jay will be waiting and we'll take the artifact to the buyer." Rin nods and does as he's told as Dia gives me the artifact. "Good job, guys." They smile and I lean against a wall.

Rin docks and they get off while Jay gets on. "Zaj is taking us through the jump to get to Xandar then we can go while the ship stays here." I nod and feel us go through the jump. "Let's go, Captain." We sit in our chairs and strap in before I pilot us towards Xandar, Nebula being left in charge.

I land in a parking lot near the buyer's building and grab the pouch before getting off of the ship with Jay following. I go inside with him and the buyer was waiting. "Broker."

"Captain Obfonteri Udonta." He nods at me and looks at the pouch in my hand while I look around his shop. "Do you see something you like?" I look at a cute little figurine and point at it while I look at him.

"You got any more of these cute little buggers? I've got a Gramps that loves to stick them in a row on his control console." He looks at me and I smile. "I'm being fully serious."

"In that case, I can show you-" I step away from the figurine and towards him, a small smirk on my face.

"But first, you're going to tell me what this artifact is and who's going to buy it from you."

"Captain, the high-end community is a-"

"Abadabadabada." He gives me a weird look and I vaguely hear the door open behind me.

"The high-end community is a-"

"Abadababdada."

"A tight-knit-"

"Abadadbadbaba."

"The high-end community is a tight-knit-"

"Obeleobeleobe," Yondu says from beside me and Broker goes paler than he already was while Kraglin and Jay chuckle behind us. "M'grandgirl asked ya a question." Broker looks at me and I just grin.

"Who's gonna buy it from you?"

"I can not possibly betray the confidentiality of my buyers!" I grab him by the collar and throw him to the floor, knife pinned against his throat all while I whistle to make my arrow hover right at his temple.

"Now... Who'd you say this buyer was?" I smirk at him and he gulps. "Patience is not a strong suit of mine, Broker. What is, however, is skinning you alive. I'm quite good at that. Who's your buyer?"

"A Nova Corpsman... He found out that you were stealing it and wanted to buy it from me... That is all that I know, Captain..." I look him in the eyes for a moment and smile charmingly at him as I stand, whistling my arrow back into its holster.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" He stands shakily and I slide my knife back into its holster, looking at Broker. "Well?"

"What?"

"I'm not giving you this for free! Payment?" I wave my hand impatiently and he scurries off to get the units.

"You know how to skin someone alive?" Jay hisses at me and I snort, turning my head to look at him a bit.

"Oh, no. That was a bluff. It worked, though." I wink at him and pull a small piece of chocolate out of a pouch on my belt loop, eating it while we wait for Broker.

"Cute lil' bugger." Yondu smiles at the figurine I saw earlier and I smile.

"Ain't it?" Broker comes back with a pouch of units and I raise an eyebrow at him. "That pouch has a hundred K in it?" He sets another two pouches down on the counter and I raise an eyebrow at him as I activate my visor, having installed a system that would count solid units for me. I go over to him and lean on the counter, deactivating my visor as I glare at him. "Broker. Where. Is. The. Rest?" I growl loudly and he gulps a bit.

"You will get it when I get the artifact." I grab him by the collar and drag him closer, noses almost touching.

"That wasn't the deal and you know it. Give me the rest or I'm trashing the place to find the rest. You've got ten seconds." I let him go and he looks at me as he stumbles backward. "Six." He quickly gets the other three bags of units. I look at them through the visor and nod slightly, seeing the whole hundred K there. "Give me a couple of those figurines for wasting my time. The one I was looking at included." He quickly does that and brings out a few more, putting them in with the units. I grab the pouches and hand them off to Jay, who takes them.

"Lovely doing business with you, Broker." I take the artifact out of the pouch and give it to him. "Until next time." I turn on my heel and leave with the other three, going toward our ships. "I didn't know a creepy Corpsman was part of the 'high-end community'." I mock Broker's voice and Jay chuckles, passing me half of the pouches.

"Can Ah git tha' cute lil' bugger ya got, girl?" Yondu asks carefully and I dig around in the pouches I had, taking out all of the figurines.

"Peace offering." I hand them to him and he takes them, grinning

"Thanks, girl." He ruffles my hair and I smile a bit, fixing it when he's done.

"Yeah, yeah. No problem. Enjoy them." He nods and we both board our M-ships. Jay gently grabs my hand and squeezes it. "I've been meaning to talk to them... And now that Yondu knows where I am... I'll get that chance..." He smiles and gently pecks my lips. I smile and sit in the pilot's chair before piloting us back to the _Golden Opportunity_.

When we dock, Nebula was waiting for us in the hangar and we get off, looking at her. "M-ships are approaching. They seem to be the other Captains and Quill's M-ships." I nod and run a hand through my hair, looking at Jay a bit.

"Alright, thank you. You're free to go back to whatever you were doing." She nods and leaves. "Well, guess they work fast, huh?" He chuckles and leaves the hangar. I lean against some crates and tilt my head side to side, eating another piece of chocolate.


	18. Chapter 18

I stand up straighter when the ships dock in the hangar and walk over as they get off, taking a careful breath. We stop a bit of a distance away and I hook my thumbs into my belt loops.

"I see that you've strapped your sword sheath down to your leg," Gamora says and I look at my leg, having forgotten I did that.

"Oh, yeah, I did... Guess I forgot to undo it..." I chuckle a bit and look back at them, feeling the awkward silence stretch.

"This is awkward," Mantis says simply, and Drax nods. Groot runs over and I pick him up. "Groot has missed you." He hugs me, extending his arms to do so, and I hug him back, smiling a bit.

"I missed you too, Groot." I pat his back gently and he lets me go, climbing onto my shoulder.

"And us?" Dad asks hopefully and I look at him.

"Yeah, I guess I've missed your ugly mug too. And the rest of you." I run a hand through my hair, still not good at talking about emotions, and let out a breath. "Alright, I vote we drink."

"I second that!" Rocket scoffs and I lead the way to my quarters while they follow. Any crew we pass looks at them, surprised, and get back to work quickly at a glare from me. Jay was in controls and looks up when he hears us come in.

"Captains." He bows his head respectfully then goes back to work and smiles at me a bit. I open the door to my quarters and motion for them to go inside. They go in and I follow, shutting the door behind me before I go over to my bar.

"Rhone?" They nod and I pour us all a glass of Rhone, passing them out. They sit on one side of the bar and I stand on the other, leaning against it a bit. I had given myself a different drink since I had a bad feeling about drinking alcohol.

"Did your breasts shrink since the last time we saw you?" Drax asks as I'm taking a drink and I choke on it, coughing.

"Drax, don't ask questions like that when I'm drinking! I prefer my lungs to not have liquid in them!" I cough and he nods. "And no, they didn't shrink. I have them bound down. Excuse me for a minute." I set my glass down and go upstairs, undoing the binding once I'm up there.

"Ah, yes. You were correct. They did not shrink," Drax says as I come back down and I roll my eyes while Gamora glares at him. I grab my drink and motion towards the living room area, going to sit in a chair. They follow and sit around the area on the couches and other chairs. "You have a large variety of sitting places compared to Yondu's ship." I shrug and drink my glass of not alcohol slowly, hoping the drinks would ease the tension in the air of silence that follows.

The silence stretches and I tap my finger against my glass a bit, trying to think of the right words. "So... Um..." They look at me and I just down the rest of my glass. "Need refills?" I get up and just grab the rest of the one bottle, grabbing a second one too before I go back over as I fill my glass with the not alcohol, finishing off the small bottle of it. Dad takes the first bottle and pours refills for those that need them while I sit down, putting the second bottle on a table between us.

"So... Yondu said you threatened to skin the Broker alive?"

"Yup."

"When'd you learn that?"

"I didn't. I was bluffing. It worked and I got the information I wanted. And Yondu got some new figurines for his collection."

"I swear, you've given him most of that collection through the years." Dad scoffs and I shrug, resting my right ankle on my left knee a bit. Yondu furrows his eyebrows and I look at him.

"Ya bleedin', girl?" Oh, he can smell the iron in my blood like Pent did. He looks at me and I shrug one shoulder.

"Woman thing." He nods a bit and I drink with them.

"Woman thing? What the Hell does that mean?" Rocket scoffs and I look at him.

"Remember when I was being a complete shit when I was twelve, getting mad at everyone for no reason?" He nods and it starts to dawn on him. "That's what I mean."

"Oh, your menstrual cycle!" Drax says loudly and I facepalm, sighing softly.

"Yes, Drax. My menstrual cycle. Have a piece of chocolate and shut up." I toss him a piece from the pouch on one of my right belt loops and he catches it, opening it to eat it. Groot was still on my shoulder and I give him a small piece too. "Make sure you chew it."

"I am Groot!" He smiles brightly and eats the chocolate.

"He says he will and thank you." Rocket translates and I gently pat Groot's head, moving him into my lap as he eats happily. "That bowl full of chocolate too?" He raises an eyebrow at me, pointing at a bowl on the table, and I nod. "You got issues."

"Hey, screw you. Chocolate is amazing. And I only eat it once a month."

"Is that how often you get your menstrual cycle?" Mantis asks and I nod. "I am sorry." I chuckle and nod a bit.

"Thanks, I guess?"

"Oh, remember Dad's face when you said he had to go with you?" Dad laughs and I smile, nodding.

"Doc said that he and Krags had to come. And Doc looked pissed when they found out I learned the word 'tits' from the crew." I chuckle and he laughs while Yondu and Kraglin were smiling a bit then I suddenly remember something.

"Oh! Right! What'd you do with that picture you took, Gramps?" I look at Yondu and he raises an eyebrow at me. "When we docked in the hangar and Krags and Gamora got off the _Warbird_ , you told me to 'give a holopad a smile' and took a picture. What'd you do with it?" He nods a bit and pulls the holopad out of his inside jacket pocket.

"Hey! I remember that! I tried to hack it one time but I couldn't get in!" Dad says and Yondu scoffs, typing in a long password. "No wonder I didn't get in it... How'd you remember that?"

"Ya learn ta when ya wanna keep yer secrets." He sets the holopad on the table and it becomes a holoscreen of the picture of me smiling brightly on the ship, looking so happy. "Wha' was we talkin' 'bout 'fore tha'?"

"Whether or not I missed Terra."

"I remember that. You said that it was nice to be around Peter when he was not being an asshat." Gamora smiles and Dad glares at me. I smile charmingly at him and he glares more.

"You were an asshat most of the time. Especially toward Jay when we would hang out."

"Yeah, well, I didn't have to like the boys you were around."

"He was the only boy I was around that was my age! And the only one you gave a hard time!" I chuckle and he shrugs, smiling a bit.

"The rest of the crew had sense and was too old for you. You never got the hint of me trying to keep you a little kid." I throw a pillow at him and he ducks, chuckling. "Come on, it was worth a shot for me to try!" He smiles charmingly and I roll my eyes, smiling a bit.

"Not even close." He shrugs a bit and I take a sip from my glass, relaxed as I notice the tension was finally gone. "What other pictures do you have on that thing, Gramps?" He swipes to the next one and it was a picture of Kraglin holding me on his shoulders so I could help fix the _Cawl_. "I remember that! It was before I got put with the mechanics team. I made Krags hit his head on something cuz I startled him." I chuckle and Kraglin rolls his eyes.

"M'head hurt fer the rest 'a the day. An' ya did tha' a lot." He grumbles and I just smile at him.

"I'm just good at moving quietly." I then remember that I need to clean my Katana and finish my glass, setting it, and Groot down on the table gently.

"Whatcha doing?" I grab the blade cleaning kit and lift it in answer before I take my Katana and Saya off, taking the Katana out. "What the Hell did you cut that has purple blood?"

"A'askvariian tentacles." I clean my Katana carefully and meticulously.

"You take very good care of your blades. I am glad that we were able to teach you good skills." Drax praises and I nod a bit, getting the blood off. I pull my glove off with my teeth and carefully run my thumb along the Ha(edge) of it.

"I need to sharpen the Ha."

"The what?" I look up and they were looking at me in confusion.

"It reminds me of a Katana. I looked up the names of the parts. The Ha is the edge. I need to sharpen it. A dull blade won't cut properly but it will hurt like Hell when I try to cut someone's arm off because of how long it takes to cut through it." I grab the sharpening kit and look at them. "Do you mind if I sharpen it?"

"Go for it." Dad shrugs and the others motion for me to go ahead. I nod and start to sharpen my Katana. "How'd you learn what the parts of the Katana was called?"

"I researched it while my knees were healing and the rest of the crew went on missions with Jay heading them. Tex grounded me to the ship since I couldn't move quickly without pain. So, I spent the better part of two month-cycles researching Katana parts and helping in the hangar when I didn't need to do anything."

"What are the parts called?" I finish sharpening my Katana and put the kits back, holding it as I run my thumb along the Ha again. It cuts my thumb and I bandage it before putting my glove back on so I don't cut my fingers anymore.

"The edge is called the Ha. The pommel is called the Kashira. The handle is called the Tsuka. The cord wrap is the Tsuka ito. The ray skin, which you can see from between the Tsuka ito, is the Same. The guard is the Tsuba. The blade collar by the Tsuba is the Habaki. Other Katanas usually have markings here from the forging of it and those are called Hamon.

"The groove here is the Hi. The back of it is the Mune. The rounded tip is the Kissaki. There's also usually a signature of the dealer on the shaft, or Nakago, and it's called the Mei. Some pins act like screws to keep the Nakago in place under the Tsuka and they're called Mekugis.

"There can be small drawings or ornaments on the side of the Tsuka to, and I quote, 'indicate the nature of the sword holder', whatever the Hell that means, called Menuki. The length of the blade is called the Nagasa."

"And what's that strap on the sheath?"

"It's called a Sageo and attaches the scabbard, or Saya, to my belt. And there's a line between the Kissaki and the rest of the blade." I point to each thing as I explain what it is and slip my Katana in the Saya before putting it back on.

"You had too much time on your hands." Dad rolls his eyes and I shrug a bit.

"I guess. I liked learning about it, it was fun. Like when I was learning about the ships with the holopads. I had Neb find me some stuff about Katanas and she gave me a holopad about it."

"Nebula allows you to call her 'Neb' and she calls you Captain?" Gamora asks, surprised, and I nod. "How did you manage that?"

"I told her I'd scrap her and use her for parts if she pulled anymore of her bullshit then treated her with respect when she understood, as I do with all of my leads...?" I shrug a bit and take my other knives out to inspect them.

"I am Groot?" I look at Groot and see him pointing at my blaster holster, which was empty I now realize.

"I'm guessing you just asked where my blaster is and that, little buddy, is an excellent question." I put my right foot down and lean forward as I think. "Hmm... I was blasting A'askvarii... And their tentacles... Some people on Terra would love to know those exist..."

"Much like Quill!" Drax laughs and I look over to see Dad with his head in his hands. "The man who has laid with an A'askvariian!"

"And that's too much information, Drax. I did not need to know any more about my Father's sex life. And now I feel like I'm gonna puke. Thank you."

"You are most welcome." He smiles proudly and I facepalm again.

"Sarcasm, Drax... I was using sarcasm... I'm not grateful for knowing that information... Please just don't talk about it..." He nods and I think some more about what happened to my blaster, rubbing my face when I remember. "A damned A'askvariian knocked it out of my hand before Lin blasted off his legs and Vin killed the sorry bastard." Groot pouts at that information and I look at him.

"I am Groot?"

"So you lost it because of an- Groot! Dude, the language!"

"Yes, I lost it because of a fucking cunt bucket." I supply and he nods, still looking sad. "Awe, I'm sorry, Groot." I gently pat his head and he hugs my hand, making me chuckle. He lets go of my hand and grabs my empty glass.

"I am Groot?" He points to the bottle of Rhone then himself and I raise an eyebrow.

"Hell no." Rocket says in answer and my assumption was right. "You aren't going to drink." I look Groot over and notice that he did look bigger since the last time I saw him, not drastically bigger, but still bigger.

There's a buzz on my wrist com and I press a button, holoscreen on Nebula popping up. "Well, this is new. What's going on, Nebula?"

_"There's a Captain Barkley requesting access to dock, Captain."_ Barkley? What the Hell does he want?

"Permission granted. Have Jaz and Tex lead him and whoever he was with him to my quarters. If Tex is busy, get another big crewmember." She nods and I end the transmission, suspicious as I look at Stakar. "Does he know that you guys are here?" He shakes his head and I nod a bit, grabbing my blades from where I set them down on the table. I inspect them and wait for Barkley to be brought up.

There's a buzz at the door and I go get it. "Captain Barkley and his First Mate, Captain," Jaz says and Tex was behind them. I nod and motion for the two of them to come in, looking at Jaz and Tex. "We'll get back to work, Captain." They leave and I shut the door, turning the lights up all the way at Dad's subtle insistence before walking back over to my chair.

"What can I do for the two of you? Drink?" Flint was watching me with disgust as I take my jacket off, laying it over the back of my chair, and I look at them. Barkley ignores me for a moment and greets the other Captains while I pile my hair on top of my head, my neck hot.

"Stakar, Aleta, Charlie, Mainframe, Krugarr, _Yondu_." You can hear the venom in his voice when he says Yondu and I was slightly shocked.

"Damn, I think I need some fucking antivenom from the amount of venom in your tone... Gods..." I mutter under my breath and he looks at me. "Barkley, how great to see you. Now, what do you want?"

"I'm just curious as to why the crew I gave Stakar to give to you, came back to me. And you move around so much, it has taken me the whole time they've been back to find you and ask you in person."

"Ah... I see... Well..." I lean forward onto the back of the chair and grin at him. "That's a great big pile of none of your damn business. Anything else I can help you with, _Barkley_?" He takes a small step back in the venom in my tone and I smirk a bit, folding my hands in front of me.

"The other Captains deserve to know why their crew came back, Terran," Flint growls loudly and I whistle sharply, my arrow dancing in front of his eye, making him take a step back as well. I look at them, face neutral, and push myself off of the chair as I unfold my hands.

"If I thought the other Captains needed to know, I would've told them," Stakar says simply and I smile at the two of them, my arrow swaying in front of Flint. "Rogue." I whistle and my arrow soars back into my holster, doing a loop around Flint's head. Or, it would have, if he hadn't ducked down and I smile a bit.

"Just like you told them that she was a Terran, Stakar?" Barkley growls and Stakar is up, pinning him to the door quickly. Ooh, things are getting interesting. I lean against the back of the chair again and watch, highly interested in how this will end.

"I do not need to justify my choices to you. And you seemed to have no problem with her being a Captain before you found out she was Terran. You were the first one to vote that she should be a Captain, Barkley." He then realizes something and looks at me. "Rogue, who was the one who tried to set you up for exile?"

"Ser, Stakar."

"Ser came from your crew, didn't he, Barkley?" He nods and I catch Stakar's train of thought.

"You think Barkley put Ser up to it?" Barkley quickly shakes his head and Stakar narrows his eyes at him. 

"I would never set another Captain up for exile!" Flint was looking very smug by my bar and I look at him, whistling sharply to pin him to the bar with my arrow in his jacket as I stand straight again.

"But you would try to set a Terran up for exile, wouldn't you, _Flint_?" I growl loudly and my implant was flashing blue streaks in quick succession of each other while I walk. "Because you think that Terrans shouldn't be Captains. Why is that?" I had gotten to the end of my bar, fairly close to him, and glare at him, knives back in their holsters.

"Terrans should stay on Terra where they belong!" I whistle and he stands, advancing on me. "You should have gotten captured by the Skrulls on Terra!" He swings at me and I catch his arm, throwing him over my body. He lands on the floor with a thud and a grunt and I put my blaster boot onto the back of his head, finger hovering over the button to activate it.

"Did you ever meet Atar after he got kicked out of the Ravagers?" He nods as much as he can from under my boot and I nod a bit. "Did you see what happened to his boot and foot? Do you know what happened to them?"

"No." He growls and I push his head into the floor more.

"I planted this boot onto his foot and activated it. What do you think will happen if I do the same thing to your skull?" I growl and the door is opening.

"Captain?" Jay sees Flint and glares.

"Get in here and shut the door." He does that quickly, knowing better than to take his time when I'm pissed and comes over to me, not having to be told. "You got anything against me burning his face a bit, Stakar?"

"Not at all."

"Lovely." I activate the blaster boot and keep it pinned to the side of his face for about three seconds before deactivating it, moving it off of his skull. His face was badly burnt and he quickly moves to be sitting up against the bar. "Now you have a face to match your personality." I turn my head slightly to look at Stakar and there was crashing as Jay tackles Flint to the ground after he tries to attack me.

Jay has one of my knives and it's pinned against Flint's throat. "If you want to, you can kill him," Barkley says and Stakar nods. I whistle and my arrow is soaring towards his throat. Flint yanks Jay down and I whistle quickly to stop my arrow against Jay's back, where his heart is. The room is silent and I go over, yanking Jay off of him. I drag Flint to his feet by his collar and punch him in the face, numerous times, my implant glowing a solid blue now.

Someone stops me from hitting him again by catching my fist in their hand and I turn to glare at Charlie. "Let him go." I throw him to the ground and he stays down, unconscious. He lets go of my hand and I flex it slightly, the knuckles covered in orange blood from him.

"Killing him is letting him off easy. Is he wanted by the Nova Corps?" I look at Barkley and he raises an eyebrow at me.

"Most of us are, but yes. And there's a hefty reward."

"Then someone turns his sorry ass in, collects the reward, and let them ship him off to The Kyln. Where he can spend the rest of his sorry years as someone else's bitch. Or don't. I don't even fucking give a damn. Get him out of my fucking quarters and off my ship." Barkley doesn't move and I raise an eyebrow, pissed. "NOW, Barkley!" He jumps a bit but does as I told him and I slam the door shut behind them, barking at one of the crew to make sure they left.

I turn and point at Jay then the chair I was sitting in earlier. "You. Sit. Now." He sits in the chair and I grab a new bottle of not alcohol since the other two were gone. I pour myself a glass and toss it back quickly staying by the bar.

"Rogue..." Jay says carefully and I glare at him.

"What?"

"You're going to break the glass. You like those glasses." I notice the tight grip I had on the glass and loosen it. "Want a piece of chocolate?" I glare at him and he puts his hands up slightly. "Alright, that's a no. Will you at least sit down, please?" He smiles gently at me and I sit, making a gesture to say 'happy?'. "Thank you. Want to clean your blaster?"

"I can't clean my blaster because it's on fucking O'erlanii because a fucking A'askvariian knocked it out of my fucking hands and they're all a bunch of fucking asshats and filthy cunt buckets!" I end in a yell and pinch the bridge of my nose when Groot flinches. "I need to punch something. Or shoot something. Or kill something. I need to do something to something."

"You technically did..." Dad says carefully and I start to throw the glass in my hand at his head. I take a deep breath and set it down slowly, trying to calm down. "Y'know, you should calm down."

"Dad, you're about to be the something I do something to. Do you want to be the something I do something to?" He quickly shakes his head and I glare at him. "Then shut up!" I yell and Groot flinches again. "Sorry, Groot, sorry." Kraglin tosses something to me and I catch it, looking at it. "What's this?"

"Music. Lissen ta it. Try ta relax." I put the headphones in and look at the device.

"How the fuck does this work?" He comes over and leans over my shoulder.

"Tha' turny thing there makes the songs go up an' down. Made by primitive people." I nod my agreement and he continues. "Tha' one, Traffic, they got some good songs. An' Thin Lizzy is a group Ah like a lot. An' there's a lady on there named Alice Cooper tha' Ah like a lot. She seems kinda angry, bu' kinda like stuff... Like how me an' yer Daddy fel' when we was kids. Or wha' ya fel' when ya was a lil' 'un." I nod a bit and play it with his direction, listening to one by Alice Cooper as I rest my elbow on the bar.

As I listen to the music, I lean my head onto my fist after raising my arm and close my eyes to immerse myself in the music fully. The tension in my body slowly melts away while I listen to the music and my thumb taps against my head softly in time to the beat of the music. Everyone watches and Kraglin smirks proudly at Dad.

"Screw you, Krags."

"Yer jus' mad Ah got her ta relax. Ya don' tell a woman ta 'calm down', Petey. Tha's jus' stupid an' askin' ta git blasted." He rolls his eyes and Dad flips him off, which Kraglin returns promptly.

"You're both just giant children..." Jay mutters under his breath and sips at the Rhone Rocket had given him as everyone looks at him. "What? They are. Rogue says it all the time and she's right." He shrugs one shoulder and glances over at me. My head was barely moving in time with the music I was listening to and he barely smiles, taking another sip from his glass.

I open my eyes and sit up straight, taking the headphones out. "Wha's wrong?" I hand Kraglin the device and grab my jacket before leaving the room, going over to my Captain's chair.

"Captain, what's wrong?" Zaj asks and I pull up an issue monitor for the whole ship on the holoscreen, looking at it as I pull my jacket on. "What does that red dot mean?" She points to it and I zoom in on it. "The northern quadrant engine? What's wrong with it?"

"Zaj, we're landing. Immediately. List the planets we're by."

"We're not by any planets currently. If we go through a jump, we'll be close to Terra. If we go through two, we'll be close to Contraxia."

"I'm not sure if we can risk going through one jump, let alone two..." I let out a slow breath and nod a bit. "I'll set a course to Terra, you tell the mechanics crew that they're gonna need to figure out what's wrong with the northern quadrant engine." She nods and runs to do that while I set a course to Terra in the same field as when the Clans landed on Terra for Christmas.

"Wha's goin' on?" I glance at my quarter's door out of the corner of my eye and see that everyone was coming out of there, Groot on Drax's shoulder.

"Northern quadrant of the engine has something wrong with it. We're going through a jump and landing on Terra." I pull something else up on a separate holoscreen and scroll through it with my left hand while my fingers on my right hand continue to set the course. "According to this, it should be August, so near the end of summer but the start of autumn. Terran weather is weird, dudes." I glance at the course and press the final button to have it set fully, working as a GPS to where I want to go before I cloak the ship.

"Wait, autumn is the one with the leaves falling, right?" Jay asks and I nod.

"That doesn't happen until September or October, though. Sometimes later. Trees are weird, too. Everything on Terra is weird." I scoff and pilot the ship through the jump before landing in the field, the red dot on the northern quadrant engine growing larger.

"Captain." I turn and see Zaj running in, panting a bit. "Gods..." She takes a deep breath to get control of her breathing and I wait patiently.

"You didn't have to run through the entire ship, y'know."

"Val and Vin told me to hurry back to you to tell you..." She pants and I roll my eyes.

"Take a second, catch your breath." She nods and slowly does that. "Good. Now, what did they want you to tell me?"

"They're getting to work on the northern quadrant engine and we should be able to get back into the stars by the end of the day-cycle." I look out the window and see the sun high in the sky.

"Judging from the position of the solar star, it's around 1200, probably about... 1138." She looks at her wrist com and nods, looking at me in shock. "I can see the time on the holoscreen, Zaj."

"Oh." I chuckle softly and take my jacket off. "Both teams are getting to work on the engine now."

"Good." I tap a few things on my wrist com and the entire crew gets a map of the field we were in which told them how to get to the cabin. Zaj looks at me, confused, and I take my gloves off. "Terra gets hot this time of year. Working on the engines will get unbearable eventually. The cabin has a pond, a lake, something with water behind it. They can cool down in it or in the cabin, which has air conditioning. I landed us as close as possible and it shouldn't be too much of a trek through the woods. And if it is, at least there's the shade of the trees." She nods and goes to tell the teams that.

"She does know that she could tell them that over the coms, right?" Jay asks and I shrug.

"She can tell them any way she wants to tell them. I don't care cuz they're getting told." He nods and I notice the rest of the crew come in. "Let the fun begin..." I mutter and he snorts.


	19. Chapter 19

"All of you already get kicked out of the engine area by the mechanics and engineers?" They nod and I smirk a bit, arms crossing loosely over my chest. "You all got a map of the area and a clear path to a cabin. Get going that way."

"Aye, Cap'n." They give a Ravager Salute to us before leaving and I smile a bit, heading to the engine area.

"I swear to all the Gods, if one more of you ask if you can help, I'm gonna shove my blaster so far up you- Cap'n!" Vin shuts up with the threat and gives me a Ravager Salute. "We're locating the problem with the engine now! It'll be done by the end of the day cycle!" I nod and he waits patiently.

"When any of you need a break, follow the path on that map to the cabin! There's some water you can cool down in or you can cool down inside the cabin! I expect to see you all at least twice, not all at once! Take shifts on being in here!" I yell to all of them and they nod their understanding. I nod and leave to go to the cemetery to visit Mom first.

It was empty and I go over to her grave, kneeling as I put my hair down quickly. "Hey, Momma... I just came to say hi... I don't have another one of those flowers, I forgot to buy one the last time I was on Xandar... But I've got some chocolate for you..." I rest one in a hole near the gravestone for flowers and smile a bit. "Alright, Momma... I love you... I'll see you later..." I stand and brush my pants off before quickly going to the cabin.

"Where have you been?" Dad asks when I come into the cabin and I raise an eyebrow at him. "Rocket's trying to make a bomb out of the fridge."

"Rocket! Do not make explosives out of kitchen appliances!" There's silence and I add "Or any other appliances!"

"Damn! You just want to suck the fun out of everything!" Rocket glares at me as he comes out of the kitchen and I look at him.

"It's my family's cabin and I get to say what happens to the stuff in it. And it won't be made into explosives." He rolls his eyes and sits in the living room.

"Gods, you weren't kidding. It's hot!" Jay groans and takes his jacket off, followed by his shirt, not thinking. I quickly glance at his body, he's hot, and go up the stairs to raid Mom's clothes cuz we're similar in sizes, according to pictures at least.

"Sorry, Momma..." I murmur and pull on a tank top followed by some dark shorts that go to my mid-thigh, leaving my leathers and weapons on Mom's bed. I grab some more of them and go back downstairs, tossing them to Gamora, Mantis, and Aleta from the stairs. "Any females on my crew, follow me." I lead them back upstairs and get them some clothes from Mom and Kat's rooms. "There. That should keep you cool. Cal, Eve, can you adjust some of these for the male crew, the Captains, and their First Mates?"

"Jay included?" Cal smirks and I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Just the shorts..." I wink at them and head back downstairs, sitting next to Jay.

"What the Hell are you wearing?" Dad glares at me and I simply flip him off, which he reciprocates.

"It's hot. Cal and Eve are upstairs adjusting some clothes for any males that want them. Captains and First Mates included." Jay starts to stand and I stop him. "Except for you." He chuckles and I smirk, winking at him.

"Where are your boots?" Martinex asks and I nod upstairs.

"We aren't on a Ravager ship. We don't have to wear boots. I'm taking advantage of that for as long as I can." He nods and Jay wraps an arm around my shoulders. "It is way too hot for that. You're a fucking furnace all the time." He chuckles and starts to move his arm. "I didn't say move your arm. Just that it's too hot." I lean against him a bit and he chuckles, holding me close.

"Awe, cute!" Cal smiles and passes out clothes with Eve and the kids to the males.

"We git 'em too?" Yondu raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug.

"If you want them. Ravager Leathers aren't a good outfit for Terran summers." He nods and I put my feet up by me, leaning against Jay contently because we've been so busy that we haven't been able to spend a night together since the beginning of the two-month-cycle break from the rest of my family. Yondu takes a picture and I kinda glare at him.

"Wha'? Ah ain't do nothin'." He smirks and I roll my eyes, sitting up.

"Dad, turn that fan on. I'll turn the AC on." I stand and go over to the thermostat.

"Why do I have to?" He grumbles but goes over to turn it on and I roll my eyes, turning the AC on to get it cooler in here.

"I'll be outside if anyone needs me." I grab a bottled water and go outside, sitting under a tree on the beach to watch the clouds. The shade protects me from the sun and it was a little cooler as I sip on the water.

Dad suddenly runs past me and onto a pier, jumping into the water. "Whoo!" He yells when he surfaces again and I roll my eyes, staying away from the water on purpose. "You guys know how to swim?" He hollers and I turn to see my crew coming over. They nod and slowly go into the water. "'Mora! Don't forget the stereo!" I lean against the tree again and watch the crew play in the water, Jay joining them. Gamora sets the stereo on a pier and presses a button to make Dad's music play loudly while they swim around.

"Ya gonna join 'em?" Kraglin asks from my side and I shake my head. "Ya should, y'know?"

"Alright... I'll go onto the pier." He nods and I stand, going onto a pier to sit and sunbathe for a while, on the edge of the pier. I feel it barely bobbing and can feel fear and anxiety claw at my chest like an Orloni trying to get out of a pair of pants, breathing slowly to keep control of it.

I sit up after a little while and can feel someone walking up to me. They stop behind me and I start to look up when I'm suddenly picked up and thrown into the water, into the deeper part. I hit the water with a huge splash and barely manage to suck in a breath before water is surrounding me.

I sink like a rock and my feet hit the bottom. I try to push myself up using the bottom and claw frantically for the surface, lungs burning with the need for oxygen while black dots speck at the edge of my vision. Damnit, come on, just a little further... I'm not going to let this happen again... Kat isn't here to save me this time... My body goes lax and I try to keep clawing for the surface. I just barely make it and breathe quickly, moving my arms and legs frantically to keep my head above water.

I go over to the pier with some difficulty and Jay pulls me up. "Are you alright?"

"Who threw me in?"

"Drax..."

"Throw him in for me..." I go back over to the tree and sit against it, wrapping my arms around my legs. Jay has Jaz and Tex throw Drax in and they give me thumbs-ups. I return it half-heartedly and Jay throws Dad in too.

"It was your Dad's idea!" He hollers in explanation and I nod a bit. The Captains and the two First Mates sit next to me and I move my legs down, pushing down on them slightly when they kinda shake.

"You alright? Your whole body's shaking." Martinex looks at me and I nod a bit, trying to get control of my body.

"My grandparents threw me into the water when I was five or six and I nearly drowned... Kat saved me..." I explain softly and they nod. Dad comes over and smirks at me a bit, making me glare at him.

"You've been going around calling yourself the 'Warrior of the Galaxy', but you don't know how to swim?" He teases and I don't respond, looking away from him.

"Boy." Yondu growls and Dad waves a hand at him.

"Come on, Rogue. That's, like, basic Terran knowledge. How can you call yourself that, when you can't swim? What if you need to... To save the galaxy by swimming the bottom of a lake?" He snickers and I stand, walking off. "Come on, Rogue! I'm curious!" He laughs and I go into the cabin, hiding in the bathroom.

"Stupid Dad... Stupid Terra... Stupid water... Stupid memories... Stupid emotions..." I lean against the locked bathroom door and was crying. "He's just like those damned bullies at that school... Asshat..." I sniffle and rub my hands across my face to try to stop crying.

\-----------

Yondu glares at Dad as he walks off and Kraglin shakes his head. "Tha' boy..." He growls and Aleta stands, dusting herself off. "Where ya goin'?"

"To make sure that she's alright. Your boy is an idiot." She shoots a glare at Dad's head and goes towards the cabin. She goes up the stairs and hears me hitting something in the bathroom.

\-----------

I hit the wall and squeeze my eyes shut against the tears still coming. "Stop crying, damnit... You're a Ravager Captain, not some little kid... Get control of your emotions, Rogue..." I hit myself in the face a bit and wipe the tears away harshly as I stand in front of the mirror, looking at myself. "Dad's just an asshat... You're fine..." I breathe in slowly through my nose and breathe it out slowly through my mouth, getting control of myself. "There..." I run the water and rinse my face off.

Someone knocks on the door and I jump a bit, clearing my throat. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright, Rogue?" Aleta asks through the door and I nod a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be back out there in a couple of minutes."

"Alright," She says after a few moments of silence and I hear her walk away. I go to the bathroom and notice that the bleeding had stopped, just some spotting. 

"Odd... I'm usually heavy..." I put a new pad on and wash my hands as I look at my eyes. "Ugh... I'll just blame it on the water getting in my eyes..." I sigh and dry my hands off before going back outside, grabbing a book and sunglasses from a nearby bookshelf as I do. I step outside and put the sunglasses on as I walk towards the tree again.

I sit back under the tree by them and open the book. "Wha's tha' 'bout?" Yondu asks, catching a glimpse of the cover, and I lean against the tree.

"Mom and Kat would read it to me when I was younger... I think it's about wizards..." I read the book and glance at Yondu, who was looking over my shoulder a bit. "Want me to read it out loud?" He barely nods and I do that, starting it over. I read it softly and they listen, leaning against the tree and Aleta leaning against Stakar.

Yondu kinda pulls Kraglin closer and Kraglin smiles, moving closer. I continue to read softly and some of the little crewmembers come over to listen too.

I'm suddenly getting drenched by water with everyone listening to the story and the book gets soaked, upsetting me. "Have some fun!" Dad snickers and I glare at him through the sunglasses as I stand, patience gone.

"Stabbing you sounds like it'd be a lot of fun! Because of you trying to get me to have 'fun', I was close to drowning! And now you've ruined a book that my Mom and sister would read to me! You're an asshat and, sometimes, I wish I never met you!" I scream, pissed, and everything was silent around me as I storm back to the cabin.

\-------------

"You kind of deserved that," Charlie says simply and Jay follows me. Tex comes over and stands awkwardly for a moment.

"Um, Captain Udonta, Sir, could I speak with you and Kraglin in private?" Yondu narrows his eyes at him but does stand with Kraglin and goes over to somewhere more private.

"Wha'cha wan', boy?" Yondu asks and Tex clears his throat awkwardly, trying to find the right words for a moment.

"Did Captain's mood go this bad when she was younger during menstrual cycles and act like this before and after them too?" He asks awkwardly, still not used to being the lead Doc in med, and Yondu raises an eyebrow. "She's been having..." He waves his hand a bit and tries to think of the proper phrase. "Mood swings, I guess for a while... And she refuses to get checked out..." Kraglin and Yondu think back to when I was younger and they look at each other.

"Naw... They was never bad, bad... Not like tha'..." Kraglin shakes his head and Tex nods a bit. "Why? Wha'cha thinks wrong with Rogue?"

"Oh, nothing... Um, Terrans bleed sometimes when they aren't on their menstrual cycle and have no reason to be... I think it was called 'spotting' in the lessons Jay gave me...?" They look at him and raise an eyebrow. "She's had the mood swings since she hurt her knees and the two of them haven't had much time alone since the first couple of weeks while she was healing... And Terrans have no reason to be on their menstrual cycle when they are bearing a child..."

"Yer sayin' ya think she's pre'nant?"

"Pregnant, yes..." He says carefully and Yondu nods, striding towards the cabin. He pauses and looks at Tex.

"C'mon!" He barks and Tex quickly follows him and Kraglin towards the cabin.

\------------

I had booby-trapped the basement and was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, angry and crying. "What the Hell is with me today? Why can't I keep handles on my emotions?" I growl softly and hear someone coming towards the door.

"Captain Udonta, I don't recommend doing that. She says she has it rigged so one of the guns down there will kill whoever opens the door," Jay warns and I move away from the stairs. They move away from the door and I think they're gone, wiping at my face with my palms, under the stairs now.

The door is suddenly yanked open and the shotgun goes off. Someone shoots it with a blaster and pieces go everywhere. "I have more guns!" I yell and reach for one only to be stopped when Yondu's arrow is suddenly at my hand. I glare at it and retract my hand, trying to wipe the tears away still. They come down the stairs, shutting the door behind them, and Jay looks at me, worried.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know! That's what's pissing me off! Which just seems to make me cry more!" I run a hand through my hair and rub my face, noticing Tex. "What is it, Tex?"

"He's gonna check ya out, girl. See if he can help ya," Yondu says simply and I kinda glare at him but don't argue, looking at Tex.

"Jay, get out. I'll let you know when I find it out." He leaves without argument and shuts the door behind him.

"Um, could you sit on that stuff over there?" He points at the washer and dryer and I go over, hopping onto the dryer. He comes over and carefully checks me over, using a few tools from the ship that he keeps on him.

When he's done, he clears his throat awkwardly and I look at him, raising an eyebrow. He opens and shuts his mouth a few times, not sure how to speak currently. "Tex. Spit it out."

"You're pregnant. At about two month-cycles." I just nod and he looks at me for a moment.

"If any of you tell Jay, I'll break your jaws."

"You aren't going to tell him?" Tex asks, shocked, and shuts his mouth at the glare I give him.

"I've had two miscarriages. I'm not going to give him the hope of having the kid he's always wanted just to have it snatched away if I have a third one. So, no. I'm not going to tell him until the risk has been reduced. Which is after the twentieth week-cycle, right?" Tex nods and I nod back. "Then he'll find out then. And not before. Clear?"

"Aye, Captain." He runs off when I motion for him to leave and I look at Yondu and Kraglin. They nod and I get off of the dryer, going upstairs.

"So? What's wrong?" Jay asks as soon as I'm through the door and I smile at him.

"My cycle is just messing with my mood more than normal. And stress is making me go crazy. I'm fine." He kisses my head gently and smiles at me.

"Good." He smiles and walks off. I feel bad for lying to him but I'm gonna have to deal with it and I go to get a drink, no alcohol.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We leave Terra and I line up missions, sending Jay on them so that someone of high rank is on them to make sure they go according to Jaz's plans. While he's on them, I go see Tex for checkups and we're getting closer to the ten-week-cycle mark, that Tex had discovered would have a low probability of me miscarrying before I formed the stomach, while I was getting nervous about telling Jay.

After one difficult, but a successful, mission, Jay requests to land on Contraxia to celebrate and I permit it. Zaj and I land on Contraxia and everyone goes to bars and bot brothels to celebrate. I go see Tex for the weekly checkup and he smiles at me.

"Hey, Captain. I'll be in the room in a minute. Just have to finish stocking up." I nod and go into the private room, sitting on the bed. He comes in after a minute and shuts the door, checking me over.

"Alright, Captain. it's been ten week-cycles, including the two month-cycles the first time I checked you over. You're far enough past the danger mark and, according to my research, the chance of a miscarriage is two point four percent, Captain. Are you going to tell Jay today?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes... I am..." I run a hand through my hair and take a deep breath. I get off of the bed and get off of the ship, going to find Jay.

"Hello again, Terran," Flint snarls and I look at him.

"Hey, Flint. Glad to see my boot did some lasting damage." He smirks at me and grabs my arms while an A'askvariian comes forward with a Rajak, pulling me into an alley.

"You stole priceless artifacts from us," The Rajak growls and punches me in the stomach, hard. Flint holds me up and the A'askvariian punches me too. The two of them switch between punching me in the stomach for a couple of minutes before Flint drops me and kicks me in the face once. They walk away and I throw my knives into the backs of the A'askvariian and the Rajak, making them fall to the ground out of the alley and into a busy crowd.

The crowd disperses and I get up, going over to them as I wipe a hand across my mouth to get rid of the blood from getting kicked in the mouth by Flint. "How dare you?!" Flint swings at me and I duck out of the way, using the fighting techniques Kraglin taught me. He swings at me more and I just bob and weave away from them while the crowd forms around us.

One of the other two grabs me from behind, arms around my waist, and I lean against them to kick Flint in the face as he comes at me. I was in survival mode now, similar to when I was on the ship with Shakaroth and was now fighting for all I was worth. I plant my blaster boot on their foot and activate it, making them let me go. The A'askvariian comes over and I grab my knife from the Rajak's back, holding it in a fighting position. They attack me and I avoid them, grabbing my other knife from their back.

They attack me and I stab them. My consciousness slips from my grasp and I fight, my pupils were blown wide with the need to survive this fight as the three of them get their weapons out.

When my consciousness comes back to me, the three of them were on the ground and beaten to a pulp, but still alive. I go to find Jay again, pushing through the crowd easily, and go towards the bars and brothels. I look in all of the bars then go towards the main bot brothel, the Iron Lotus, and I see Jay go in.

"Jay, you better be buying a bot for the crew..." I stand outside and wait, heart sinking as he stays in there for much longer than what it takes to buy a bot.

I go back to the ship and clench my hands in fists, going to see Tex. "Captain? Is everything alright?"

"I got jumped by an A'askvariian and a Rajak on my way to tell Jay. They punched me in the stomach a lot." He nods and checks me over.

"I'm sorry, Captain..."

"It's fine. It's not your fault." I leave and get changed in my quarters, sitting in the dark as I try to figure out what to do about what might be happening in the Iron Lotus with Jay. I drink some Rhone and look blankly at the holoscreens in front of me.

A transmission pops up and I absentmindedly accept it before Yondu, Kraglin, Stakar, Aleta, Mainframe, Krugarr, Charlie, Dad, and his crew pop up. I give a partial wave with my glass and toss the remnants of it back before pouring some more, feet kicked up on the table in front of me.

_"Is the only light in there from the holoscreens?"_ Rocket asks and I nod, illuminated by the holoscreen and transmission, as I sip at my drink.

"Whatcha want?" I ask after a few moments of silence and Dad rubs his neck a bit.

_"I'm sorry about all the stuff I said and did on Terra. I was being a dick."_ He looks at me and I nod.

"One hundred percent. You seem to be like that a lot lately." He rubs the back of his neck and I cross my legs at my ankles, setting my glass down on a nearby table so I can take my gloves off after finally noticing the blood that was caked on them. "Ugh, have to clean another pair of gloves..." I mutter under my breath and toss them onto the table by my feet before picking my glass back up.

_"Wha'cha got there, kid?"_ Kraglin asks and I raise my glass at him slightly.

"Good ol' Rhone. Seeing as how Flint, an A'askvariian, and a Rajak made it so I don't have to worry about alcohol anymore. Don't have to worry about destroying a fetus so now I just have to worry about destroying my liver. Cheers." I toss the rest of the drink back and pour another glass.

_"Where is Jay?"_ Mantis asks and I scoff, rolling my eyes.

"He is in the Iron Lotus." I sip on my drink and look towards the door as it opens, Jay stumbling in. "Never mind, he is right here. Excuse me." I press a button to, hopefully, mute my end of the transmission and stand, downing the rest of my drink before going over to him.

"Cap'n," He mutters in greeting and heads for the stairs, obviously drunk. I grab him by the back of his collar and shove him onto the couch, my back to the holoscreen. "Wha'cha wan'?" He slurs and I can smell the booze on his breath from where I'm standing.

"What the Hell were you doing in the Iron Lotus?"

"Wha'? Ya wasn' givin' me nothin'. Had ta git it somewheres..." He grumbles and I glare at him. "An' it ain't like ya ain't donnit yerself with Tex. Ah know tha' ya been seein' 'im when ya sen' me on them missions tha' ya ain't been goin' on since we was on Terra."

"Did you just accuse me of cheating on you with _Tex_?! After you did with _sexbots_?!"

"Yeah, Ah did!" He stands and glares down at me. "Cuz Ah know tha' ya been fuckin' 'im!"

"Like you were fucking some bots half an hour ago?!"

"Betta than a Cap'n fuckin' 'er Lead Doc!" I clench my fists and he stumbles away from me towards the door.

"Where the Hell are you going?!"

"Ta m'old quarters! Cuz at least there, Ah can git some sleep afta a decent lay!" He opens the door and stumbles through it before it slams shut.

"Asshole!" I snarl and flex my hands slightly before going back to my seat to get another glass of Rhone before pressing the button again, downing the drink after I plop in the seat.

_"That was interesting."_ Rocket snickers and I pour another glass at that. _"You didn't mute yourself proper like. We heard all of that."_

"Lovely." I scoff and toss back the glass easily. I grab the bottle to fill the glass again and decide to just drink from the bottle to save time.

_"You should slow down,"_ Dad says carefully and I respond by flipping him off, finishing the bottle.

"It's a good thing he left... Or else this fucking bottle would be going at his fucking head..." I toss the bottle slightly in the air and catch it by the neck, holding it like I was going to throw it or hit someone with it. I just set it on the table and run a hand through my hair, pissed.

_"Ya a'right, girl?"_ Yondu asks and I scoff.

"No. How fucking dare that jackass accuse me of cheating? And with Tex! Honestly, I do have standards! And those include... Not Tex!" I say after a moment and exhale sharply. "I need another drink..." I get up and go over to my bar, looking at the bottles. "What the fuck is this shit?" I grab a bottle of dark liquid that's some type of whiskey, according to my visor, and I take it back to my seat.

_"Where'd you get that from? Last I knew, it was outlawed."_ Mainframe says and I shrug. _"Yondu?_ _"_ He was chuckling and motions for me to try some. I pull the top off with my teeth and spit it out towards the table, taking a swig.

It burns like fire on the way down and I feel a warmth spread through my body from it, giving me a decent buzz. "Nice." I take another swig and Yondu was laughing with Kraglin at the other's shocked faces.

_"Ah gave ya some 'a tha' when ya was a lil' 'un an' ya kept buggin' me 'bout it."_ He chuckles and I nod.

"Tastes a whole Hell of a lot better now than it did back then."

_"I bet."_ Kraglin cackles and I smile a bit, pouring a glass of it for myself. _"Wha' ya can' handle tha' whole bottle?"_ He snickers and I flip him off, making him snicker more.

"Don't you people have lives?"

_"Nah. We like tuning in to your soap opera drama."_ Dad chuckles and I roll my eyes, sipping on the drink.

The door suddenly opens and Jay's stumbling back in towards the bar. "Great..." I set my glass down and go over to get him, not bothering with trying to mute the transmission. "Jay, you've had enough." I take the bottle out of his hand and he spins to glare at me. "Go lay down."

"Fuck off." He tries to take the bottle back and I hold it out of his reach. "Give it."

"Not happening. You're being cut off." I set the bottle down on the bar away from him and he reaches for another one. "Jay, I swear to all of the Gods, I will find the cuffs that are upstairs and chain you to the couch until you're sober."

_"Why the Hell do you have cuffs in your quarters?"_ Dad asks then someone hits him in the head and I see Jay notice the transmission as I steer him towards the stairs, by the couch.

"Ya tell 'em how yer fuckin' Tex?"

"Alright, that's it." I punch him in the jaw and knock him out. I drag him onto the couch and lay him on his side. "Asshole... I swear..." I pick up the glass of whiskey and down it. I grab the bottle and lift it to my lips, to take a drink. "Oy vey..." I mutter under my breath and set the bottle down, putting the top back on.

_"You're calling it quits already?"_ Rocket snickers and I flip him off as I put the bottle back in its spot at the bar. I go back over and plop in the chair, rubbing my face a bit.

"Today was fucking long as Hell... I'll talk to you guys later." Krugarr makes a mandala of a thumbs up appear in front of him and I end the transmission, leaning back in my chair. I stand up after a few minutes and clean up my quarters, sighing softly. 

I look around once it's clean and smile a bit, nodding slightly. I look at the time and scoff a bit, noticing that it took me the last few hours of the night to early morning to get it cleaned. I set some water and something for his head on the table and go upstairs to take a shower.


	20. Chapter 20

When I come back down, Jay was sitting up and I look him over a bit as there's a buzz at the door. I go over and open it, letting everyone who was on the transmission last night in. "Hey, you finally cleaned your quarters!" Dad says louder than necessary and Jay winces. I kinda grunt in response and go over to Jay, picking up a pillow.

"What do you remember from last night?"

"What?" I hit him in the head with the pillow and he looks at me, kinda glaring. "Really?"

"Take the crap for your head and answer the question." He takes them and downs the water with them. "Well? What do you remember from last night?"

"Drinking. A lot. With the crew. Then it gets fuzzy. I was in here and you knocked me out for some reason." He rubs his jaw a bit and glares at me. "Ouch, by the way."

"You deserved it for the crap you were spewing!" Dad growls and advances on us, stopping when I glare at him. I look at Jay and he had his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Get upstairs and we'll talk." He nods a bit and goes upstairs. I get a bottled water and take a drink, looking at the others. "Stay down here. And no trying to get Krugarr to open portals to eavesdrop, Dad." He looks offended and I go upstairs, drawing the curtain at the top of them for at least a little bit of privacy. I turn to see Jay pacing and he stops, turning to look at me.

"What's going on, Rogue?"

"If you've got anything to say to me, say it now. Because once I start talking, you aren't going to be." He looks at me and furrows his eyebrows. "Anything at all to say." He nods a bit and I motion for him to talk.

"You haven't been going on missions since we left Terra. You've only been sending me. And one of the kids says you always go to see Tex after I leave and come out with a smile on your face! And I find out that you went to see him as soon as the rest of the crew was planetside!" He yells and I know that the others can hear him. "What the Hell is going on between the two of you?!"

"He's the lead Doc. He was checking me over."

"Every day?! That's bullshit, Rogue! And you know it!"

"Jay, calm down."

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down! You wanted to hear what I had to say to you! Here it is! You've been pushing me away since we left Terra! We were barely spending time together before that! I was going to work when you were going to bed! And vice versa! I have every right to be fucking pissed! Because my woman is screwing around with some asshole!"

"He was checking on my pregnancy!" I yell back and he falls silent.

"I was pushing you away because I felt like shit lying to you! I was going to tell you last night when Flint, a Rajak, and an A'askvariian jumped me and ended it! I was waiting until the risk for a miscarriage was low before I told you because I know you want kids! I didn't want you to get your hopes up just for it to be yanked away again! As for before Terra, that's just how it was fucking panning out! You think it was easy for me?! I fucking hated it! And then you come in fucking accusing me of cheating on you! After you went to the damned Iron Lotus and did exactly that with _sexbots_! So I'm fucking sorry that I wasn't around enough so you could, and I'm paraphrasing what you said here, 'go to sleep after a good lay'!"

As I was yelling, he was going pale and steps toward me. "Don't you dare fucking touch me! I want you out of my fucking quarters! Sleep in your old quarters for all I fucking care! I can't look at you without wanting to punch you in the face again!" He doesn't move and I glare at him. "OUT! NOW!" I bellow and he quickly gets out.

As soon as the door shuts, I sink onto my bed and put my head in my hands, elbows on my knees while everything hits me. I squeeze my eyes shut against the tears and breathe slowly, rubbing my hands down my face as I shove everything down into a deep hole in my soul. "You alright up there, Rogue?" Dad calls up the stairs and I let out a slow breath, standing.

"I'm fine." I go downstairs and grab my jacket from where it was laying on the desk. "I've got work to do." I grab a protein bar from a top drawer and hold it between my teeth as I pull my jacket on, walking toward the door. Charlie steps in my way and I look at him, grabbing the protein bar. "Charlie, move."

"Sit, kid." Kraglin grabs my shoulder and guides me to the sitting area, pushing me onto the couch between Yondu and Mantis. "Tha' a girl." He smirks and I glare at him.

"You're an asshat and I have work to do." I start to stand and Yondu and Mantis pull me back down with tight grips on my arms. "You're stronger than you look..." I rub my arm where Mantis grabbed slightly and she looks at me.

"You are not fine. You are angry, sad, and many other emotions. How are you staying calm with those emotions warring inside of you?"

"Years of practice. That you helped me with, Mantis. Now, I have work to do and I'm going to do it."

"Naw." Kraglin and Yondu keep me down, Kraglin swapping places with Mantis, and I rub my temples, needing to start doing something or else I'm going to breakdown.

"You people are annoying. I'm fine. I'm staying calm. I'm not going to kill anyone. And I'm not going to kill Jay. Now, I'm either going to go do some work or I'm going to go to bed because I've been awake for an entire day-cycle at this point."

"Git yer ass ta bed, ya idiot!" Yondu hits me in the head and I glare at him.

"Know what? I will, but not because you told me to. But because I'm fucking exhausted." I get up and go up the stairs, closing the curtain behind me. I sit on my bed, throwing the blankets down, and peel my jacket off, kicking my boots off. I set my knives and Katana on the nightstand next to my wrist com and lay down, yanking the blankets up around my shoulders before making sure I can reach both my wrist com and at least one knife.

I hear the others move around and start drinking as I drift off. I grab the pillow Jay uses unconsciously and hold it close, breathing in his scent as I fall asleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I wake, it's to yelling and cussing and I suddenly slide out of bed. I get up quickly and grab my knives, Katana, and jacket, putting all of them on. I put my wrist com on and start to yank my boots on as I go towards the stairs. I hop a bit as I pull my second one on and there's an explosion somewhere on the ship. I yank open the curtain to see Charlie coming up and he moves as I stride down the steps quickly, pulling gloves onto my hands.

Nebula was waiting at the door of my quarters and I look at her. "What's going on?"

"Kree attack. That explosion knocked out one of the coolant tanks. Zaj, Del, and Pan are working on keeping us out of the line of fire. They want to talk to you about conditions on stopping the attack." I walk past her and see Jay ordering crewmembers to deal with the coolant tank as I step out into controls. I step up to the holoscreen with a Kree on the screen and he smirks at me.

_"Hello, 22-3-16. It has been a while, has it not?"_

"A lifetime would be too short. What the fuck do you want, asshat?"

_"It is quite simple. We want our slaves back, you and 33-4-17. Since you are both our slaves as well. That Centaurian as well."_ I glance behind me and see the others standing there before I look back at the Kree.

"I don't know what the fuck is so hard to get through your fucking skull about this, but I ain't gonna tell you anymore after this! I ain't a damned slave! Jay ain't a damned slave! And Yondu sure as Hell ain't a slave! No one on this fucking ship is a damned slave! So, here are my fucking conditions!"

_"I do not care about your conditions."_

"Sure you do! They're real simple, too! You just got to fucking die!" I slam my hand down on a button and a space missile flies for their ship. "Put the fucking shields up and hold onto something! NOW!" Zaj activates them and I smirk at the Kree's scared face. "Enjoy the light show, asshat!" His eyes reflect the missile and it goes into his controls before it blows the entire ship up.

The explosion continues toward us and shakes the ship, sending it careening to the side. I hold onto the control console and catch Kraglin by the collar of his jacket while he catches Groot. "Cap'n!" I look out the window and see a planet coming up fast while I was the only one close enough to any steering controls.

"Fuck!" I pull Kraglin up and he grabs my chair while I grab at the controls to steer the ship, pulling myself closer before trying to right the ship as quickly as possible. It doesn't quite happen in time and I manage to lessen the extent of the crash. The shields take most of the damage, but we still crash and warnings are blaring all around us while we're still skidding to a stop.

My feet suddenly aren't wanting to keep me standing and I start sliding down the sideways ship. Kraglin grabs my wrist at the last second and I grip his wrist back. We finally stop and are in a fairly upright position. Everyone stands up and I drag myself to my feet after letting Kraglin's arm go, looking around. "Anyone injured?" They all pat themselves down and shake their heads. "Good. Now, where the fuck are we?" I go over to the console and try to pull up information on the planet we're on.

"Oh, you have got to be shitting me!" I growl when an error message pops up saying it was damaged and rub my face. "Nebula! Take Val and Vin to fix what's damaged on this! And get me any information you can on whatever shithole planet we're on!"

"Centauri IV..." Yondu growls and I look to see him glaring at me before looking out the window. "M'home world..."

"Oh... Sorry about calling it a shithole, then... That's my bad..." The crew was standing there awkwardly and I notice, going back into Captain Mode. "What the Hell are you doing standing around? You have your orders! Now go!"

"Go man, go!" Dad snickers and I hit him in the head. "OW!" He rubs his head and I glare at him, looking at the planet a bit. I see him try to hit me in the head in return out of the corner of my eye and I catch his arm, pinning it behind his back easily and painfully. "OW, OW, OW, OW! OK, OK! Let me go!" I let him go and he rubs his shoulder while I smirk at him.

_"Captain!"_

"What, Vin?"

_"The entirety of the systems for turbines are fucked! I'm not sure about controls, though!"_

"Can you salvage anything at all?"

_"I can try, but it won't last long!"_

"Will it last long enough to get us off of this planet and to Xandar?"

_"Probably not!"_

"Then find a damned way to make that happen! Jay will be there to help you in five minutes!" Jay gapes at me and I glare at him. "GO!" He runs off and I think a bit. "We have some old parts for turbines in the hangar. Will that stuff help?"

_"It should, yeah! Val, go get that stuff! We'll keep you updated, Captain!"_ I end the transmission and look around controls, thinking. I quickly go into my quarters and dig around in my desk.

"I knew I still had these damned things!" I bring out a small crate of holopads and scroll through them quickly. "HAHA!" I kinda laugh and find a holopad for my ship, setting the other holopads in my chair. Groot looks at them and I yank my gloves off with my teeth as I get the system pulled up. "Zaj, tool cart from the hangar!" Zaj looks at me, confused, and I look at her. "Now!" She runs to get one and I take my jacket off, slinging it over the back of my chair.

"What in the Hell are you doing?"

"Controls on this ship gets fixed in controls. Right here." I open a panel below the main control console and take off my Katana and shoulder knife, setting them in my chair too. "Don't touch those, Groot. Feel free to look through the holopads." I activate the program to walk me through what needs to be done with controls and make Kraglin help me.

"Captain? What are you doing?" Vin asks as he comes in and I come out from the controls panel to look at him.

"Since when do I have to explain myself to you?"

"Sorry, Captain. But, if you don't mind telling me, I'm curious."

"Fixing controls."

"You know how to do that?" Nebula asks, shocked, and I roll my eyes, going back into the control panel.

"Yes, I know how to do that. I know how to do things other than yelling, screaming, cussing, and fighting, y'know?" I scoff and hold my hand out for a tool from Kraglin since he could also hear what needed to be done. He puts it in my hand and I cut a couple of wires to fix them.

"Fucking shit!" I shake my hand slightly after getting shocked and solder the wires together. "Damn... That fucking hurt..." I stick the finger in my mouth for a moment before holding the soldering tool in between my teeth and slide out of the control panel. I sit up and take the holopad from Kraglin, swiping through it to make sure everything got done.

"Yer fergittin' somethin'." I set the soldering tool back on the short tool cart and look through it again, double-checking everything. "Git it done proper like?" I motion for him to shut up and see one final step, sliding back into the control panel. "Activate yer visor, kid."

"Krags, I'm about to kick you in your head." I activate my visor and the system appears in front of my eyes so I can go through all of the steps one more time to make sure it's done properly.

"Ya done yet, kid?" I finish the absolute last step and slide out of the panel, closing it up. "Took ya long 'nough." He chuckles and I shove at his head as I stand up, tapping at the console. I try to pull information about the planet up again and wait as the whole ship reboots. The whole ship goes dark and silent for a few seconds before coming back to life and beeps surround us, everything lighting up. I tap a few things and information on the planet pops up as well as radar.

"Well... Looks like the immediate vicinity is free of other people and ships..." I tap a few more things and all of the issues pop up on a map of the ship, letting out a slow breath. "Alright. That's a lot," I mutter under my breath and look at the problems as I grab two empty holopads before typing up the issues in order of the most urgent, making sure it was divided evenly between the two of them.

"Vin, Val." They step closer to me and I hold the holopads out to them. "Use your teams to work on fixing these, starting from the top because those are the most urgent. Let Jay or I know if you need more people for the jobs." They look the jobs over and nod, going to get their teams caught up as I grab my shoulder holster. "Zaj." She looks at me and I motion towards the map with the issues and the radar. "Keep an eye on these, alert me if any other red dots pop up and the size of them or to any incoming ships or people." She nods and I swipe them over to her station's holoscreens as I put my shoulder holster back on.

"Pan, stay by the controls for the weapons for when we're back in the air." She nods and I grab my jacket, pulling it on. "Anyone that didn't get an assignment, make yourself useful to the mechanics and engineering teams." They nod and leave controls to go do that as I put my Katana on. Jay was standing in the doorway and I walk past him.

"Rogue, we need to talk." He hisses as he walks next to me, grabbing my arm, and I yank it out of his hold, glaring at him. "Please." I glance around and shove him into his old quarters, locking the door behind us.

"What?"

"I am so sorry. I didn't know what I was doing last night. I don't remember anything between leaving the bar with a bottle of strong whiskey and you punching me. I swear to all of the Gods." I look him in the eye, which was slightly difficult since he was freakishly tall, and he looks at me. I can't find any signs of him lying and nod a bit. "Can I please hug you?" I nod again and he hugs me tightly. "Gods, I'm sorry, Rogue... I'm so sorry..." He holds me close and I wrap my arms around him too, burying my face in his chest.

We were standing off to the side of the door, which wasn't easy to see from the doorway, and he holds me as I start to cry, unable to hold them in anymore. "I've got you... I've got you and I'm not gonna let go anytime soon..."

When I stop crying, he holds me still and I sniffle a bit, leaning into his chest. "Feel better?" I nod a tiny bit and he rubs my back gently as he grabs something. "Here... So you can clean your face..." I take it and clean my face quickly, not looking at him. He gently tilts my head up and I lock eyes with him. "It's OK to let it out when I'm around, Rogue... You don't have to keep it bottled up around me... When it's just us, just let it out... Complain about whatever you want... I'll be here to listen and to hold you, OK?" I nod a bit and he kisses my forehead. I felt a lot lighter and smile at him a tiny bit. He smiles back and brushes my hair out of my face.

"Here." He gently takes the rag and finishes cleaning my face, making me blush a bit. "Just want to help you look presentable, Captain." He smiles and I nod a bit.

"I'm gonna rise my face off..." I go into his bathroom and splash my face with cool water before pressing a cool rag to my eyes to get rid of the redness there. I set it down and look in the mirror, seeing that I looked better. "Alright." I nod and turn to leave, seeing Jay standing in the doorway before he steps closer, leaning down to be level with me. He gently cups my face and head and presses his lips to mine. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back.

We quickly disentangle when the beep of the door being hacked comes and it opens to reveal Rocket looking at us. "There you two idiots are. We got a problem." He walks away and I follow him with Jay right behind me. We go to controls to see Kree ships landing around us and I pile my hair on top of my head, not in the mood for any of this bullshit.

"Freeze, 22-3-16. Or I will kill 33-4-17." I turn and see a Kree holding Jay in a headlock with a blaster pointed at his head. "Take off your weapons and surrender."

"OK, sure." I take my thigh knife out and look at Jay, winking a bit. He tilts his head closer to the blaster and I throw the knife into the Kree's face, making him fall to the floor as he lets Jay go. "Slide me that damned blaster." Jay slides the blaster to me and I stop it with my foot before picking it up. "Y'mind?" I nod towards the Kree's head and Jay takes my knife out of his face, sliding that to me too. "Much obliged." I slip it back into its holster and look the blaster over.

"Hm. This is weak. Rocket?" I look at him and he pulls out a huge blaster, smirking.

"This better?"

"Much." I trade with him and look the blaster over, a smirk slowly spreading across my face. "Where did you even hide this?" He just smirks and I go over to the ladder to get me planetside.

"Where are you going?" I smirk at Dad and wink as I slide down the ladder, strapping the blaster to my back.

"Another blaster is waiting for you down there!" Rocket yells and I pick it up, smirking at it as I take the second one off of my back. I go to the front of my ship and rest the blasters on my shoulders, looking at the ships as Kree get off of them.

"Drop your blasters!" One yells and I smirk.

"How about I drop you instead?" I point the blasters at them and fire, blowing them both up. "Aw, Hells yeah!" I laugh and blast the other Kree, enjoying this. "I enjoy the little things! Like how big of a bang this is going to make with your body!" I blast another Kree and the blasters stop working, empty. "Damn!" A group of Kree comes over and I take my Katana out, holding it confidently while I get into a simple stance.

One of them lunges at me with an electric prod and I slice their body in half easily as I move my body seamlessly as Gamora taught me to do. One of them wraps a whip around my Katana and yanks it out of my hands but through another Kree, so still a win technically. "Oh ho ho! You guys seriously want to play, dontcha?!" I take my knives out and wrap my hands around them, gloves abandoned on the ship.

Music is suddenly playing from my ship and I grin, similar to Yondu when he's got that knife smirk on. "HAHA! Bunch of fucking pussies!" I step toward the Kree and a group of them attack me. "That's more fucking like it!" I attack them back and kill them, putting some dance moves into the dodging I'm doing.

"Hold still!" One of them yells and aims a blaster at me. I spin out of the way as they fire and they hit another Kree, bouncing on the balls of my feet slightly in time with the song.

"WHOO! Come on, lads! I'm just getting started!" I was grinning like a madman and had blood splattered all over my body as a song from my musical starts, bobbing my head a bit. "EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR AMERICA'S FAVORITE FIGHTING FRENCHMAN!" I yell in time with the song, bouncing slightly too, and a large Kree comes over, no weapons. "Fuck yeah! Now the real fun begins!" He swings at me and I duck away from it, bobbing and weaving effortlessly. I spin away from him and stab him in the knee then the throat, killing him easily.

"Come on! You've got to have better fighters than that!" I get hit across the back with a whip and eat dirt, holding onto my blades due to sheer will. "That's more like it!" I roll away and onto my feet as I hear the whip go through the air again, narrowly avoiding getting hit again. A Kree that looks similar to Shakaroth glares at me and I smirk at him.

"My Father will be avenged! No Terran Battle Slave will get away with killing him!" He was pissed, acting sporadically but his movements were predictable and I go toward him. He tries to hit me with the whip and I lift my arm, letting it wrap around it. He smirks and yanks me forward.

"Thanks, buddy." I stab him in the throat and pull my knife out, letting him fall to the ground. Someone wraps a whip around my throat and I drop my knives, grabbing at their head.

"Say good night, 22-3-16." I unwrap the whip from my arm and wrap it around their head, yanking on it. They fall to the side and I unwrap the whip from my throat as I scoop my knife up, stabbing them in their throat.

I hold the knife in one hand and the whip in the other and turn to the other Kree, survival mode activated while I had a sick smirk on my face. One of them comes toward me and activates an electric prod. I snap the whip around his throat and yanks him closer, onto my knife before dropping both of the weapons as I snarl at them. A female comes forward with chains and I attack her, dislocating and breaking bones before I snap her neck as my consciousness slips away.

When I regain my consciousness, I'm standing in the middle of the field and it was littered with dead Kree, panting softly, while the sun was lower in the sky. I vaguely notice Yondu's arrow flitting around in front of me and whistle, making my arrow go through the ships so I can see what's on them. The others come off of the ship and everyone but Martinex, Kraglin, Yondu, and Stakar approach me cautiously. I look at the four of them and spit some blood onto the ground.

"Damn, girl. Didn't know ya had tha' in yer body." Yondu smirks and I shrug one shoulder, putting a hand up when I get a picture of something on a ship from my arrow. "Wha's it?" I grab my Katana and go onto the ship behind me, walking through it slowly with the four of them right behind me, blasters drawn except for Yondu.

We reach a large room filled with cages and my arrow was flitting around the top of the room. The cages had numerous different species in them and I whistle a series of sharp tunes, the arrow going through the locks on the cages to open them. They carefully come out of the cages and a big guy sees us with weapons, charging us. I quickly put the Katana away and shove Martinex, Stakar, and Kraglin's blasters down, showing him my empty hands. He freezes and looks at me, narrowing his eyes at me. I motion for him to move and he steps aside so I can see there are a few more cages to open. Yondu whistles sharply and sends his arrow through the last locks.

"Who are you? And what's with all the blood on you?" An Aakon asks and I look down at myself, noticing I was covered in splatters of blood.

"Huh... Just realized I was covered in blood... Alright then..." I look at her and she was eyeing me cautiously. "We are Ravagers. And I'm covered in blood because I slaughtered the Kree that had all of you captured and trapped in cages." I notice they all had chains on their wrists and ankles and grab Kraglin's blaster. They all move backward and I aim carefully at the chains between the big guy from earlier, blasting them off. I slowly reach out to grab his arm and move his wrists away from his body to blast the chains off of them too.

"Not gonna hurt y'all... C'mere so I can blas' yer chains off..." The Aakon from earlier steps forward and I blast her chains off, ankles then wrists. I blast through each of their chains and they let me.

When they're all free from their chains, I give Kraglin back his blaster and look at them. "What now?" The big guy asks and I look at him.

"Now... You're free. You do whatever you please and show the Kree where to stick it. Cuz fuck those guys." I step to the side and they leave the room then the ship. I move my jacket and whistle my arrow back into its holster, settling my jacket back over it before following the freed slaves off of the ship.

I see a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye and step to the side to walk closer to that side to protect the Captains and First Mates. There's the snap of a whip and I get hit in the back, falling to the ground. I roll and whistle my arrow to right in front of a Centaurian with a tall red thing on their head.

"What are you doing with my boy?" The woman growls and I stand up, looking at her.

"You're Yondu's mother?" She nods and I suddenly grab her by the throat, throwing her to the ground. "How dare you act as if you care about him after what you did to him?!" The other three had their blasters trained on her and Yondu was looking at her. "Gramps, what do you want to do?"

"Yondu, baby, you care about me, don't you?" She smiles at him and I see Yondu's implant flash before his arrow is going through her throat.

"Naw. Ya didn't care 'bout yer own lil' baby." He snarls and I glance at him. He walks off and I walk on his left while Kraglin walks on his right.

"Is it OK for me to say that she was a bitch or will that get me killed?" He just hits me in the head before wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulls me in close. "You're a good guy, Yondu. You're better than your parents." I reach around his arm to wrap mine around his shoulders and lightly bump our heads together like I did when I was younger.

"Ya ain't done tha' in a while." He chuckles and we let each other go. I smile a bit and wipe some blood off of my jacket. "Ya git blood on all yer leathers, dontcha?" He snickers and I roll my eyes.

"Well when you're constantly beating the shit out of people or killing them, you'll get blood on yourself. Unless you're Kraglin. Mister, I always keep clean when on a mission." I snicker and Kraglin reaches around Yondu to hit me in the head, making me laugh. "Gods... We're the only group of people who can stand in the middle of a bunch of bodies and screw around, laughing." I shake my head fondly and Kraglin scoffs as we board my ship with the others behind us, freed slaves included.

"Tha's cuz 'a ya. Yer insane, kid."

"Oh, remember that one mission? We were selling something we stole to some slimeball dealer?"

"An' ya had the idea ta steal all 'a his loot!" Yondu cackles and I smile brightly.

"He had some cool shit! And we sold it for way more than what we would've gotten with just that one thing!"

"Then ya stole tha' from 'im too!" Kraglin laughs and I chuckle.

"Duh! He was ripping us off with the price!" Vin and Val were waiting for me and I look at them. "What's up?"

"We got everything fixed. We should be ready to get off of the planet, Captain." I nod and go to controls, taking off of the planet since everyone's on board.

"Good job." I look at them and set a course for the planet that Stakar had made neutral ground for meetings since the meeting ship had become a target that was close to Contraxia too. "Will it hold up through jumps?"

"It should." I nod and pilot us through the jump.

"How'd you know where our ships were?" Mainframe asks and I shrug.

"Neutral ground just seemed like a good place to go. Everything's fully fixed?" I look at Val and he nods. "Good. Everyone has earned a fucking break." I look at Groot, who was still sitting in my chair, and gently pat his head.

"I am Groot?"

"He wants to know if he earned a break too?"

"Sure, little buddy. You earned a break too." I roll my eyes slightly and look at my hand that was caked in dried blood. "Anyone wanting to go to Contraxia, feel free. If you get drunk, don't pilot back. Anyone wanting a bot, let Jay know." I go to my quarters and change into clean leathers.

"Captain! There is about ten crew wanting a bot!" I come downstairs and give him units to give to them. "Is that enough?" I shrug and he gives me an unamused look.

"Gods. Hang on." I roll my eyes and send a message to Kraglin, asking him how much a bot costs.

"Why ya askin' me?!" He hollers and I poke my head out of my quarter's door, raising an eyebrow at him. "'Bout a hundred or so..." He mutters and I nod, giving Jay plenty of units for the crew while Yondu cackles.

"Ya asked Krags how much a bot cost?!" He howls with laughter and I smirk a bit, all of the crew knowing about me and Jay now.

"What the Hell would I need a bot for?! That's why I got Jay!" I leave my quarters and there's silence.

"Rogue!" Jay hisses and I snicker, looking at him to see him blushing bright blue as he passes out units. The room is silent and I smirk at Yondu as the crew leaves to go to Contraxia or the mess.

"Started something you couldn't finish, Gramps?" He gapes at me for a moment then snickers and I smile, seeing Dad looking pissed. We had landed on the meeting planet and the crew ship pools with each other to Contraxia. "Now, I vote we drink and remember past missions!" I go into my quarters and turn my lights up, getting some booze while they come in.

"Want some help?" Jay asks, appearing behind me, and I chuckle, nodding. He grabs glasses and takes them over while I take over Rhone and the whiskey from last night. I pour glasses of what each of them wants and sit on the small couch next to Jay, tucking my feet up next to me after taking my boots off.

"I thought that it was smarter to wear shoes while on a Ravager ship."

"It is. However, I want to have them off and it's my ship and my quarters. So... Yeah." I sip on my whiskey and Jay tugs my feet into his lap.

"And that." Rocket snickers and I shrug, hiding a smile behind my glass.

"So. Past missions. Who's gonna go first?"


	21. Chapter 21

"How about you start? I want to hear more about the time you got arrested." Martinex chuckles and I look at him.

"You're gonna have to be more specific."

"For stealing from Nova Corpsmen."

"OH! OK." I take a drink from my glass and rest it against my chin as I think. "Alright. So, I was fifteen or sixteen and Dad's being an asshat about seeing me and Jay kiss in the hangar."

"I was not!"

"You were. Now, shut up, I'm trying to tell the story." He rolls his eyes but shuts up and I smile a bit at the memory.

"Jay ran as soon as Dad came in cuz he was a chicken shit, wuss. I stayed and got into a screaming match with Dad. Kraglin comes in cuz somebody had gotten him to come to deal with his fool brother and his kid. He yanks Dad away and tells him to go shoot some stuff. Then told me that I had to clean his ship! Which, by the way, I'm still pissed about, Krags. Dad started it."

"Yeah, yeah." He rolls his eyes with a smirk and I take a sip from my glass.

"So, I cleaned the _Milano_ up, made it look nice and pretty on the outside. It was shining because Gramps forced me to get good at cleaning ships. That, the vents, and some other bullshit punishments he thought up made me get good at a lot of shit."

"Ya deserved every second 'a 'em, girl."

"Yeah, yeah. I board the ship to clean the inside and I swear it's like he messed it up before he left just out of spite, like he knew I was going to end up cleaning it. I clean it up and it smelled like something died in there. Then, I get a brilliant idea. 'I was told to clean the ship, so clean it I shall.' I took the _Milano_ and cleaned out the gas tank too by flying to Xandar. I got through the jump and these idiots are throwing transmissions at me like they're units to a stripper.

"I answered one from Gramps and he said... Um... Right! 'Girl, if ya don' git yer sorry ass back in m'hangar, 'm gonna give ya a whuppin' tha' yer Daddy's gonna feel an' tha' will make yer ass fall off!'"

"How'd you respond?" Stakar raises an eyebrow and I scoff.

"How the Hell do you think? I said something stupid. Let's see... I said... 'While that mental picture of a loving welcome home sounds so inviting, I'm gonna have to pass. I'm just following orders and cleaning out the ship like I was told to! I'm being very thorough and getting to the gas tank too! OK? OK. BYE!' Then ended the transmission and flew around Xandar until the two options were land or crash. I raid the entire ship and can't find a single unit, so I'm stuck.

"Kraglin sent another transmission and I answered it. We went through a whole list of conversation starters. 'Where are you?' 'I'm not gonna tell you that.' 'Are you alright?' 'I'm fine.' 'Are you stranded?' 'NO!' Utter silence. 'Yes.' 'Whatcha do now, idiot?' 'I ran out of gas.' 'Ain't that what you were trying to do?' 'Yes.' 'Mission accomplished! Have fun finding a way back!' Then he ended the transmission. I swear you're where Dad learned how to be an asshat." Kraglin flips me off and I reciprocate it, chuckling.

"Then what?" Mainframe asks and I smile a bit.

"I got off of the ship, wearing some stupid poncho I found onboard to hide my leathers. I wasn't a total idiot, y'know. I use the lessons from Yondu to look pathetic to try to get units from people and got told to go back to my side of Xandar. I went to an abandoned part of the city and saw bony kids that were almost dead. I went back to the crowded part of the city and bumped into a bunch of people, pickpocketing them.

"Then, I saw a Nova Corpsman putting a crap ton of units in a pouch on his hip and it wasn't even rigged up well, just with some shitty magnet device. I pickpocket him and run back to the ship, hiding the pouch in a loose wall panel on the inside. Then I go back to the city and pickpocket more Corpsmen for the rest of the day-cycle and into the next one. I end up running through the streets for the last one cuz she was chasing me.

"I drop the units off on the roof of the house with the nearly dead kids using my blaster boots and crash into a tree while trying to lose the chick, close enough to the ship for her to see it through the trees. She drags me on board and searches the whole ship, finding nothing. She arrests me and... Well... She probably still has a scar from where I bit her arm."

"You bit her?!" Dad gapes at me and I shrug, grinning a bit.

"Hey, I was using my training! If you get caught, do whatever it takes to get out! Biting included." He rolls his eyes and scoffs. "So, she lets me go and I bolt, getting caught by another Corpsman, who won't let me bite him. I didn't get away like that again, sadly. They arrest me and put me through this scanner thing. Honestly, no one seems to appreciate my charm and wit. They ask me what I was doing and I say something stupid.

"I tell the chick that I was there to bang her boyfriend." They choke on their drinks and I cackle while Jay hits my shin. "It's no worse than telling a guy that his wife wanted some 'bow chicka wow wow' while cuffed and pinned against a wall!" I laugh and Kraglin shakes his head.

"Yer insane. Ya has always been insane. Ya always gonna be insane."

"Yup. Anyway, the chick didn't appreciate that and I got a hit to the face. Then a very stern talking to before I was released and I was put in the system. I threatened someone into helping me fill the ship up and left Xandar, heading back to the _Eclector_."

"What happened when you were back in the hangar?" Charlie asks and I just chuckle while Yondu snickers.

"G'on, girl. Tell 'em wha' happened."

"Gramps was pissed. I thought he was going to kill me and Dad too for good measure. I got the units out of their hiding spot and give them to him, trying to use them as a bribe so he wouldn't kill me. Unluckily for me, he's smart enough to realize a bribe but he does take the units and, well... Yeah." I don't continue and sip on my drink.

"An'?" Yondu smirks and I shake my head.

"I ain't telling that part. Fuck that."

"Ah can tell 'em," Kraglin smirks at me and I sigh softly.

"Fine, fine. Gramps grabs me by the arm and pulls me closer to him before he's dragging me through the ship to his quarters. He tosses me in and I shut the door between us, trying to lock him out. And that works. Until Kraglin shows me that he can also get into Yondu's quarters by opening the door... Gramps was 'I'm gonna kill then eat you' level pissed! He doesn't even wait for Kraglin to shut the door and whistles to pin my jacket sleeve to the desk while coming over to me, taking his belt off."

"An' ya got tha' whuppin Ah said ya was gonna."

"Yeah... After I tried to argue saying that you couldn't do that anymore cuz I was too old for it... That did _not_ help my case..." Yondu cackles and I just finish my drink. "Gods, I don't think I sat comfortably for a week."

"Nope. You were always squirming around." Dad snickers and I hit him in the head with my boot, which just makes him laugh more while he kinda rubs where he got hit.

"You're an asshat. And what about when you were that age, huh?" He stops laughing and drinks to hide a blush behind his glass. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Gramps, who was worse? Me or Dad?"

"Yer Daddy. He was an idiot." Yondu chuckles and I smirk at Dad. "Ya had yer moods but ya was never as bad as 'im." I shrug one shoulder and Jay refills my glass.

"Ah say ya were worse," Kraglin smirks at me and I gape at him. "Kid, yer moods. They was Gods awful. 'Specially durin' yer cycle." He chuckles and ducks my other boot I throw at him. "Ya missed." He smirks and gets hit in the face with a pillow.

"You were saying?" I smirk and he rolls his eyes. "C'mon. Someone else tell a story of an old mission."

"All the funny ones involve you, Rogue." Rocket snickers and I shrug. "Alright, I want to hear more about the time she told that Corpsman about his wife." He looks at Kraglin and he smirks.

"A'right. Ah got this one. Kid goes in them vents an' soon as them lights go out, Ah git cornered by Corpsmen. Kid comes outta them vents an' don' see the Corpsmen 'till she git ta standin'. Couple 'a 'em knock 'er down ta cuff 'er an' ask 'er wha' the Hell she's doin' in them vents. She goes through the list 'a family an' is gittin' slammed inta a wall, punched in the gut, an' says tha' the Corpsman's woman wanted some fuckin'... Gods, yer an idiot."

"C'mon, Krags. Ya gotta do the dance too."

"NO! Ya wanna show 'em tha' shit, ya can do it!" I shrug and sip my drink, thinking about it before motioning for him to continue the story as he downs the rest of his drink. "Fuckin' idiot. Ah swear. She say tha' the Corpsman's woman wanted some 'bow chicka wow wow' from the Warrior 'a the Galaxy. Outta any other thing, ya coulda said, why'd ya hafta say tha'?"

"It got us arrested faster. And I got to piss off an asshole. It was amazing. The look on his face... It was glorious. I live for the little things."

"Much like when you were younger." Gamora smiles and I look at her. "Yondu, do you remember when we took her to get supplies for her cycle?" He snorts and nods. "You called the attendant 'pink lady' and flipped her off when she turned to look to see if there were supplies for you. Then acted innocent of anything when she turned to you again."

"An' she had tha' stupid smile on 'er face tha' ride back ta the hangar." Kraglin rolls his eyes and I give him a mock glare.

"I am allowed to smile like an idiot sometimes. I hadn't had chocolate in two years and you guys were having a rare moment of not being assholes." Yondu and Kraglin glare at me and I freeze with my glass to my lips, deciding to reword that slightly. "What I meant was... Um... Yeah, I got nothing to make that sound better. You were both usually assholes around the crew. But the nice kind of assholes."

"Shut up, girl," Yondu says simply and I nod.

"That's probably a good idea. I'm just gonna drink." I drink from my glass and notice something in the corner of the sitting area for the first time, pointing at it. "What's that?" Dad follows my finger and looks back at me.

"How have you not noticed that yet?"

"I've been using it as a rack for bloody leathers, honestly. What is it?" He rolls his eyes and finishes his drink, going over to it.

"This is why I kept telling you to clean your quarters." He flips a switch and a holoscreen pops up above it with lists of songs on it.

"Is that a karaoke machine?" He nods with a smirk and I nod a bit. "Huh. Cool."

"Come on, get over here, and sing a song!"

"I'm good. Have at it." I chuckle and just drink.

"Fine. But that just means you're boring." I shrug one shoulder and he rolls his eyes. "Come on!"

"Nope. You make sure it works by singing a song."

"Fine, I will." He does just that and dances too while the rest of us drink. I put my feet down and yank a pair of my boots on. Dad finishes the song and keeps giving me drinks to try to get me drunk so I'd go sing.

"Come on, Rogue. You can sing." Jay tries and I wave a hand at him, jacket off and over the back of the couch.

"No, I don't sing in front of people."

"You were always humming on the ship. And you sing in the shower."

"Yeah, humming. And how do you know that I sing in the shower?"

"I've come in here while you're in the shower and I've heard you."

"Dude, creepy." I finish my drink and Dad's giving me another one. "Stop giving me drinks! Damn!" I shove him away but do take the drink and sip it.

"Then sing a song!"

"I don't sing in front of people." I down my drink and was close to being drunk enough to sing in front of them. "So drop it." Jay gives me another drink and I take it, drinking it slowly.

"I'm not going to leave you alone until you sing a song." I down the drink and glare at him a bit, far enough drunk where my brain saying that 'I can't sing' or that 'They'll hate your voice' is drowned out.

"Fine. Pick a song for me." I let my hair down and run a hand through it, setting the empty glass on the table. The room spins as I stand up and I blink a couple of times. "Whoo... Spinning room... OK..." I go over to the karaoke machine and take the microphone from Dad, squinting at the lyrics.

"What the Hell does that say?" He taps a few things and they're in English. "That's better!" I look at the song and roll my eyes, changing it.

"Hey! You told me to pick it!"

"Well, I don't want to sing that song. Shut up." I find one and choose it, holding the second microphone that pops up out to anyone who wants it.

"What song is it?"

"Mom's favorite." Dad backs up and shakes his head. "Gramps, Krags, one of you idiots get up here. You two haven't sung yet."

"Blue can't sing." Martinex tells me with a snicker and I look at Kraglin as Yondu shoves him towards the machine.

"Get your scrawny ass up here, Krags."

"Rogue, that's a song for couples."

"And it applies to the family too. C'mon, Krags!" Yondu shoves him toward me again and he comes over, finishing his drink as he does. He looks at the song and tries to walk away. "Nope." I grab his arm and pull him back over, pouring us both another drink. "Cheers." We toss them back and Kraglin coughs a bit.

"Wha' was tha'?" I squint at the bottle label and shrug. He rolls his eyes and takes the other microphone. "Le's git this done... Gods, Ah hate ya..." He mutters and starts the song after making changing the lyrics to Xandarian. "I wantcha ta know tha' I hate ya."

"Right back atcha, Kragsy."

"Gods... 'M gonna kill ya afta this..." He rubs his face and looks at the lyrics while I sway along with the music. " _Lissen baby. Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide 'nough, baby._ "

" _If you need me call me no matter where you are. No matter how far,_ "

" _Don' worry, baby._ "

" _Just call my name I'll be there in a hurry. You don't have to worry._ "

_"Cuz baby there ain't no mountain high enough, Ain't no valley low enough, Ain't no river wide enough, To keep me from getting to you, babe."_ Kraglin keeps glaring at me as we sing and I just smile at him as we continue the song.

When the song ends, I spin to avoid getting tackled to the floor and fall on my ass with a grunt. "C'mon, Kragsy, that was fun! And now you have a song to serenade your woman with!"

"C'mere, kid!" I roll away from him trying to grab me and hit the back of the couch, making Kraglin laugh. "Yer drunk!"

"I am not drunk!" I stand and lose my balance slightly, wobbling. "Whoo... OK, maybe I'm a little drunk... Just a little bit!" Dad turns the karaoke machine off and instead plays one of my songs. I walk to the side of the couch and do a little spin, feet not working well as I fall into Jay's lap with a soft shriek. "Well, hello there." I smile at Jay and he chuckles. "How are you tonight?"

"I'm fine. And you're drunk." I look at him and lightly poke his nose.

"Boop." He rolls his eyes and puts me on the couch next to him. "You're no fun." I put my feet in his lap and reach for my glass.

"Nope." He puts it out of my reach and I kinda glare at him. "You're being cut off. You can barely walk."

"I can walk fine."

"Which is why you fell from a spin you do all the time?"

"Shuddup." I shove at his head and he chuckles. Dad tosses Jay a bottled water and he hands it to me.

"Enjoy." I glare at him but do take a sip and he pats my leg slightly. "Drink up, Rogue." He chuckles and I flick him in the head, making him chuckle more.

"You're an asshat, too." He shrugs one shoulder and I look at him, smirk slowly spreading across my face. He sees it and throws my jacket on my head, making me laugh as I pull it off.

"The two of you are perfect for each other. You're both a couple of idiots." Rocket snickers and I roll my eyes, drinking the water.

"Shut up, Rocket." I hum along softly with the music playing and tap my finger against the bottle. I drink the water fairly quickly and simply throw the empty bottle at Dad.

"Really?"

"The trash chute's behind you, idiot."

"Oh." He throws it into the chute and I listen to the music, my head nodding slightly in time with the music.

Mantis is suddenly pulling me up and I fall onto the floor because my feet aren't under my body fast enough. "Mantis, what the Hell, dude?"

"Dance with me!"

"You know how to dance?"

"Yes, Yondu and Peter have taught me!" She smiles and I stand up, sobered up slightly. "Dance with me!" She pulls me over to an empty part of my quarters and dances.

"Do I get to say no?" She looks sad and I backpedal. "Kidding, kidding." She smiles brightly and I smile back a bit as Dad puts a slow song on. "Really?" I glare at him and he just shrugs, smirking.

"She likes slow dancing."

"Please?" She looks at me with huge hopeful eyes and I stumble over my words before just nodding. "Yay!" I pull my jacket on, slightly cold, and bow to her. She giggles and curtsies, taking my offered hand. I gently pull her close and rest my other hand on her hip, leading her around the empty area seamlessly. She follows my moves, smiling brightly, and I spin her around with her arm above her head before pulling her close again.

I end the song with another spin then a dip and she giggles, hugging me around my neck. I hug her around her waist and she goes back to sit down after I absentmindedly kiss her hand.

"Where the Hell did you learn that?!" Dad gapes and I rub the back of my neck, blushing a little pink.

"I am Groot!"

"You practiced with a dummy in the gym?!" Rocket roars with laughter and I just get another bottled water, drinking it. "Gods! That's amazing!"

"Shut up, rat," I mutter and sit at the bar, blushing still.

"Thank you for dancing with me, Rogue! It was very enjoyable!"

"No problem, Mantis. Glad you had fun."

"Where'd you learn to lead like that?"

"Krags decided he had to teach me to slow dance and I just copied what he did with me on the dummy." Rocket howls with laughter again and I glare at him. "I couldn't just ask one of the crew to practice dancing with me! And Krags and Gramps always led! Fuck you, Rocket!" I throw something at him and he just cackles.

"Gods, imaging you dancing with a dummy..." He cackles more and I drink my water, blushing still.

"Yer makin' 'er blush, rat." Yondu hits him in the head, smirking at me, and I watch him as I drink. "Didja kiss the air when ya was practicin' with tha' dummy?" I spew water onto Dad and everyone laughs while Dad looked unamused.

"Why's it always me?" I shrug and wipe a hand across my mouth. "Did you, though?"

"No, I didn't kiss the air... I'd seen Gramps do it with some of the people he took to bed." Yondu chokes on his drink and I smirk a bit. "Not so fun to be on the receiving end, huh?" He glares at me, cheeks slightly purple, and I just give him a shit-eating grin.

"Where didja learn ta be tha' much 'a a smartass?" I motion towards everyone in the room and he nods a bit. "A'right."

"Course you learned it from Blue!" Martinex laughs and Yondu flips him off, which he reciprocates. "He was always a smartass. Makes sense that he passed it on to you and Quill. And Obfonteri." Groot was yawning on the bar and I see, sneaking away easily with him upstairs.

"Let's leave those nutcases to argue and go to sleep. It's been a long day-cycle, hasn't it?" He nods and I sit on my bed with him on a pillow. I peel my jacket off and take my arrow, knives, wrist com, and Katana off, setting one of my knives, my arrow, and wrist com on the nightstand while I lean my Katana against it. I kick my boots off and lay next to him. He yawns big and curls up on the pillow. I pull the pillow closer and drape my arm loosely over it after yanking my blankets up, pulling one up high enough that he's covered up too. I put the other knife under my pillow and close my eyes.

"Night, twig..." I murmur and he holds onto my arm, both of us falling asleep quickly.

I wake slightly later when I sense someone leaning over me and quickly grab my knife, pressing it to their throat before I open my eyes. "Shit, sorry!" I move the blade away from Stakar's throat and he stands up, Groot asleep in his hands.

"Gamora asked me to come and get Groot. Go back to sleep." He gently pushes me back down and I nod a bit, putting my blade back under my pillow. He heads downstairs and I hear him tell them that I put a knife to his throat before I fall back to sleep, arm flung over the pillow.

Later, I feel someone pulling the pillow away and reach for my blade. They grab my wrist and squeeze it gently. "Relax, Rogue. Just getting in bed so I can go to sleep too," Jay says gently and I feel him get in bed. "Everyone else is crashing downstairs so that Krugarr doesn't overexert himself with portals and the curtain's drawn." He lays down and I fling my arm over his chest, cuddling close to him.

"You want to wake up with something nice?" I nod into his chest and he chuckles, leaning down to kiss my head. "I can do that. You'll like it." I nuzzle closer and he holds me close. "I love you, Rogue."

"I love you too, Jay..." I murmur as I fall asleep and he smiles, following me into sleep.

I'm running through a building and I hear someone following me. "Where are you hiding?" They call and I run around a corner, coming face to face with an empty wall. I turn to go back the way I came and freeze.

My grandparents were there with Mom, Kat, Shakaroth, and a Skrull before my grandparents and Kat start to burn and I can't move. I squeeze my eyes shut and think of Yondu. I hear his whistle and open my eyes to see his arrow piercing through the Skrull and Shakaroth while Mom goes flying like she was in a car crash. Flint shows up and Yondu whistles him out of existence while I fall to my knees, curling up to make myself small.

"Git up, girl. Ya gotta git up." I look up and Yondu was crouched in front of me, hands out to show he wasn't going to hurt me. "Ya gotta git up, girl. Time ta wake up." My eyes flick behind him as another enemy appears and he whistles them out of existence too. "Wake up, girl."

I wake after getting hit in the face and glare at Yondu. "OW!"

"Ya wasn't gittin' up. Ya got a problem." I sit up and notice Jay wasn't there. "Tha's yer problem." I look at Yondu and was confused. "Yer boy got 'rested early by Nova Corps. He's in jail, girl." I rub my face and swing my legs out of my bed while Yondu moves. I yank my boots on and stand, attaching everything else with ease since this was a morning routine. I pull my jacket on and flip my hair over the collar of it before I absentmindedly run my fingers over the two flames, having kept the one Segs made for me all those years ago.

I go downstairs and see everyone else was waiting for me, Rocket raising an eyebrow at me. "Why were you whistling?"

"I was asleep. Jay says I do that sometimes. It's probably me whistling for Gramps in my subconscious. I don't fucking know!" I glare at him and he puts his paws up defensively. "I'm not awake enough for this shit..." I run my fingers through my hair and let out a harsh sigh. "Anybody know what Jay got arrested for?"

"Suspicion of trafficking children, Sol and Sta. They would've gotten you too if you'd have gone with him." I rub my face and lean my head back to look at the ceiling silently. "Are you trying to get an answer from the Gods or something?"

"I'm trying to figure out a game plan, Dad. Fuck you." I sigh and bring my head back to look at the others. "Guess I'm turning myself into the Nova Corps. Or do they have a bounty on my head?" Yondu shows me a holopad and my eyebrows shoot up. "Damn! I know I'm pretty, but that's a lot of fucking units! Who's claiming it?" Rocket raises a hand and I nod. "Works for me."

"I'm sorry for this ahead of time."

"Sorry for what?" Rocket shoots me in the neck with a dart and I pull it out, glaring at him. "OUCH!" I go toward him and the room starts spinning violently. "When'd I get on an amusement park ride?" I fall to the floor and blackness surrounds me.


	22. Chapter 22

When I come too, I'm in a bright room and see Jay leaning against a wall across from me. "Hey, Rogue."

"Don't fucking 'hey, Rogue', me!" I glare at him and carefully stand up, holding onto the wall when I almost fall over. Nova Prime comes in and I look at her while Jay stands. "Nova Prime, Ma'am." I nod toward her and she looks at the two of us.

"You are both free to go. We have been given evidence that you two were unaware of the children being trafficked or the death of Ser Reslori." She presses a button and the room shimmers for a moment as she motions for us to leave. "You may pick up your weapons from the front desk. People are waiting for you to take you back to your ship." I lead the way out and notice that my weapons were gone along with my wrist com. Jay follows and we go to the front desk. Stakar and Yondu were waiting with their First Mates, all of them managing to look pissed, and I see the creepy Nova Corpsman watching me from where he was standing next to the Captains and First Mates.

I grab my stuff and attach them quickly, hands moving seamlessly. "Rogue Udonta." I look at Corpsman Creepy and he steps forward. "You are hereby placed under arrest for the murder of Ser Reslori." He grabs me and cuffs me easily while I try to jerk out of his hold, growling. "I don't suggest resisting." He smirks and I barely keep from shuddering, looking at the others.

"This wasn't part of the deal!" Martinex growls and Corpsman Creepy just smirks before dragging me off.

"I love your hair and how it hides that hideous implant," He whispers to me and I ignore him for now. I get thrown into a room without cameras and he shuts the door behind him. I quickly tap out Yondu's frequency with some difficulty and the Corpsman takes off the hard part of the top of his uniform. "Aside from being a Ravager and that hideous implant, you're gorgeous." He comes towards me and I avoid him, hearing Yondu in my ear getting pissed.

"Don't touch me." He grabs me and grabs my hair, throwing me to the floor. I land on my ass and he pushes me onto my back, getting on top of me. "Get off of me!" He covers my mouth with his hand and his other one roves over my body, sliding into my pants. I bite his hand and he moves it, slapping me. "Get the fuck off of me! And get your damn hand out of my pants, asshat!" I try to wriggle out from underneath him and he pins me down by my chest.

"Shut up! If you want to get out of here today, then you'll shut up and take it!" I growl and purse my lips to whistle but he slaps his hand over my mouth again so I can't, pinching my nose too. He leans down and smells my hair. I grunt and growl and keep trying to squirm out from under him, not able to breathe when the door suddenly opens.

"Git yer sorry ass off'a her!" Kraglin growls and throws him off of me. I quickly breathe in some air and Kraglin helps me up. "Ya a'right, kid?" I nod a bit and Nova Prime comes over, taking the cuffs off. I quickly step away from both of them and run my hands through my hair harshly while two other Corpsmen were getting Creepy in cuffs.

"Get him out of here." The Corpsmen quickly get Creepy out and Nova Prime looks at me, seeing me follow him with my eyes until he's out, which is when I finally relax slightly. "What happened in here?" I open my mouth to explain but my voice gets caught in my throat and I close my mouth, swallowing. "Mister Fletch, Mister Obfonteri, Mister T'Naga, Captains, please leave." They leave and I breathe slowly, trying to calm down. Nova Prime stays a fair distance away and watches me, the door shut.

"I apologize. For everything that I have said or done to you in the past. I had no reason to do any of it and I am deeply sorry." I nod a bit and she nods back. "Captain Udonta tells me that you used your wrist com to connect to his frequency. I'm assuming that that was to ensure that they knew what was happening and could alert someone?" I nod again and she smiles slightly. "That was smart."

"Thank you..." I whisper and she nods, smiling gently. "I'm sorry for calling you a pompous bitch... And a filthy cunt bucket..." She looks surprised for and I kinda shrug. "The second one wasn't to your face..." She nods a bit and kinda chuckles.

"Do you have any injuries?" I shake my head and she nods slightly. "What happened?"

"He arrested me for the murder of Reslori and threw me in here, shutting the door behind him... I contacted Captain Udonta's frequency while he was taking off that hard part of his uniform with the V on it and he threw me to the floor after coming over to me... He pushed me onto my back and got on top of me, covering my mouth with his hand while his other hand roamed over my body..." I wrap my arms around myself slightly and take a deep breath before continuing.

"I bit his hand as he slipped his other one in my pants... He hit me and I tried to get out from under him but he kept me pinned down... I was gonna whistle but he put his hand over my mouth again and pinched my nose so I couldn't breathe... Then you guys came in..." I run a hand through my hair and she watches.

"He is being sent to the Kyln Two." I nod a bit and she motions toward the door. "You are free to go. And your criminal record has been expunged."

"Thank you..." I leave the room and the guys were waiting for me.

"You alright, Rogue?" I nod and they look at me.

"I'm fine, Jay... Just... Don't touch me right now..." He nods and Stakar leads the way to the ship. I follow and we get on the ship. I sit on the bunk and rub my neck slightly where Rocket shot me with the dart while Stakar and Martinex pilot us off of Xandar.

"I'm gonna finally make Rocket roadkill." Yondu snorts, leaning against the wall across from me with Kraglin next to him, and I run a hand through my hair. I pull my thigh knife out and quickly slash through it, cutting it to above my implant. I cut some of the hair on top of my head too and make sure I caught all of it so that it didn't get left on Stakar's ship. "That's better..." I mutter and put my knife back, tossing the hair into the garbage chute.

"How do you get rid of your hair so easily without even caring?" Jay asks and I turn to him, eyebrow raised. "It's just a question."

"Because I don't care about my hair or what other people think of me. Besides, if anyone talks shit about it, I can just kill them." Jay scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I may be as pretty as an angel, but I sure as Hell ain't one."

"You can't hide your implant now." Martinex points out and I shrug.

"The entire galaxy probably already knows that I have a Yaka Arrow like Gramps." He shrugs one shoulder and I notice the _Golden Opportunity_ as Stakar and Martinex are docking in it. "That was fast." I take a slow breath to ground myself and to shove this experience down.

"Ya a'right, girl?" Yondu narrows his eyes at me slightly and I nod as I stand. "Yer sure?"

"Yes, Gramps. I'm fine." The entire ship shakes suddenly and I grab onto the bar of the bunk. "What was that?!" I quickly get off to see Dad running onto the _Milano_ with his crew and go over to him. "Dad, what's happening?!" I get on board with them and he ignores me, piloting out of the hangar.

"Thanos. Thanos is happening. He's trying to get the infinity stones." I nod a bit and watch as we pilot to a deserted and desolate planet while a large ship follows us.

"Can he be killed?"

"If it is intentional, yes." I look around and notice Nebula on board too.

"And we have plenty of intent to kill him," She says and I nod.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yes, kill him," Drax says simply and I shake my head. 

"So, no. Got it." I look around at the planet and nod a bit. "Just a thought... Dad and I distract him, Rocket and Groot make a bomb to blow him up, and you three come in behind him and kill him dead. Then we use the bomb to blow his body up. Thoughts?" They all look at me, minus Dad, and I shrug a bit. "Better plan than just rushing in and trying to kill him, which would just end up with us being dead. Does he have any of those stones?" Gamora shakes her head and I nod slightly.

"That plan seems satisfactory." I look at Drax, Nebula, and Gamora and the girls nod their agreement with Drax.

"Alright. Rocket, make a bomb. Quickly." Rocket nods and starts to make one while we land. "You got some good tunes, Dad?" He nods and pops it into his cassette player before tuning it into the speakers on the outside of the ship as we get off, moving so that Thanos will have his back to the _Milano_.

The large ship lands and a huge guy gets off, back to the _Milano_ as planned. "You look like a purple Ruffle, dude." I snort and he glares at me. "So, you're Thanos?"

"Yes. Where are my daughters?"

"Well, I haven't seen any female purple Ruffles roaming around. Have you, Star-Lord?"

"Nope, can't say I have, Solar Chaos." Nebula, Gamora, and Drax silently get off of the _Milano_ and they shoot and stab him in the back. "Oh, did you mean those daughters? Yeah... They didn't like your parenting skills, buddy."

Thanos falls to his knees and they continue to shoot and stab him while he bleeds. "Should we help? This seems like it's gonna take a while..." Dad shakes his head and I watch them. Drax hands Gamora and Nebula his knives and they look at him.

"Cut off his head. Both of you." They take the blades and make a scissor shape around his neck with them before seamlessly cutting his head off.

Rocket comes out with his bomb and attaches it to his chest then another to the bottom and side of his ship. "Get on the _Milano_! I'm setting a detonator but we need to be away from it or we're dead too!" Everyone follows his directions except for me and I take the detonator. "Rogue, what are you doing?!"

"Get on Dad's ship. I'll set them off. Get off of the planet." He nods and does as I say, piloting off of the planet because Dad's trying to get me on board. "I'll be fine! I'm too stubborn to die!" Drax pulls him away and shuts the door. I activate my mask and then my blaster boots, floating slightly above Thanos' body and the ship.

"I'll see you in Hell." I activate the detonator and brace myself against the explosion as it sends me upward. I see his body burn beside his still intact ship and press the detonator again, making a larger explosion happen. "Aw shit!" I get sent careening upward and activate my boots to propel me farther up. I press a couple of buttons and my boots propel me toward my ship at a constant rate of speed, which is as fast as I can push them without melting the skin off of my feet.

Suddenly, I'm in the tractor beam and I get pulled onto the ship as I deactivate my boots. I land on the floor of an airlock and deactivate my mask, laying there for a couple of seconds as I catch my breath. Meanwhile, my body goes back to normal faster than it would for someone else. Interesting...

"Welcome home, Rogue." I tilt my head back slightly to see Yondu and Kraglin glaring at me and I just raise a hand at them in greeting. Stakar and Martinex lead Nebula, Dad, and his crew in and Dad looks ready to kill me.

"'Sup?" Yondu and Kraglin come over and pull me to my feet, looking pissed. "Much appreciated." I carefully pull my arms out of their holds and rub them slightly, still a little cold from being in the deep.

"I am Groot!" Groot wails and attaches himself to my right leg suddenly.

"He says he's glad you're OK and that you scared him, he thought you were going to die." Rocket translates and I carefully lift my leg, grabbing him.

"Sorry, Groot." He suddenly starts hitting me and I try to avoid some of them.

"I! Am! Groot!" He keeps hitting me and I try to block his little arms with no luck.

"He says you're a fucking idiot."

"Ouch! Gods! Damnit! How the fuck does getting hit by someone so small hurt?! Fuck!" I finally catch Groot's hands and look at him. "I get you're pissed and I'm sorry. Now stop hitting me! Damn!" He glares at me and extends his arm to hit me in the side of the head, hard. "OW!" I set him down again and kinda glare at him.

Then Yondu and Kraglin are taking turns hitting me in the head and I cover my head after a couple of hits from each of them. "OK, OK! OW! Y'can fuckin' stop hittin' m'head, now!" They stop and I rub my head, glaring at them a bit. Kraglin hits me one more time and I just tackle him. We roll around on the floor and are fighting for real, with real punches.

Yondu grabs the two of us and pulls us apart with a bit of difficulty. He knocks our heads together and we stop trying to kill each other, settling for glaring now. "The two 'a ya done?" He growls and glares between the two of us.

"Yes, Cap'n. Sorry."

"Yeah, I'm done." He lets Kraglin go and looks at me as he lets me go, pissed. "What?" He punches me in the face and I fall on my ass, flexing my jaw a bit.

"Tha's fer tha' dumbass stunt 'a yers! Wha' was the point 'a tha'?!" I shrug one shoulder and he drags me to my feet. "Ya betta have somethin' betta than tha'!" He growls in my face and I glare at him.

"Sorry to break it to you, but I don't!" I shove him and he lets me go, shocked since this was the first time I'd ever fought back like this. "I don't have a good answer to that question! I wasn't even fully aware of what I was doing until the bombs went off!" I growl and simply spin on my heel, leaving the airlock.

"Where do ya think yer goin'?!" Yondu yells after me and I spin on my heel, walking backward easily to respond.

"People to hurt and shit to steal! The busy life of a Ravager! You should give it a damned try instead of worrying over me all the fucking time!" I take too large of a step backward and stumble into a spin to be walking forward again, managing to make it look smooth in my opinion.

"She can't even walk right, how's she gonna steal shit and hurt people?" Rocket scoffs and I flip him off as I turn a corner, running into a dead end. I turn and go the other way, running into another dead end. I punch the wall, hard, and bite back a loud sound of pain, settling for gaping at my hand.

"Owww..." I breathe and kinda shake my hand out as I turn to find the way out of this fucking area of my damned ship. I turn back the way I came and they stare at me.

"Having issues today?" Dad smirks slightly and I flip him off with my left hand, my right hand at my side. "Those first two ways were dead ends, weren't they?" I don't respond and walk to the left of the door. "That way's a dead end too."

"I knew that!" I turn and go the other way.

"So's that way," Dad says and I stop walking, annoyed now. Rocket snickers and I glare at him, making him fall silent. "You're batting a thousand today, aren't you?" I go over to him and he smirks at me. "Yes?" I suddenly kick him in the crotch and he grunts, falling to his knees. I lightly push him onto his side and he falls, in so much pain.

"The door's around that corner," Rocket says, pointing, and I nod, going that way. "Damn, you alright Quill?" Dad just groans and I hold my hand close to my chest as I go through the door. I wince a little bit and go to med.

"Cap'n?" Tex looks at me when I come in and sees me holding my hand carefully. "Are you alright?"

"I punched a wall. I'd have to guess no, I'm not." I sit on a bed and he nods, coming over to check my hand out. He starts to carefully take my glove off and I growl softly, hand swollen badly which makes him stop taking it off.

"It can stay on. Can I ask why you punched a wall?"

"It got in my way. You wanna just fix it up, Tex? I'm not in a good mood." He nods and takes some pictures before giving me the same type of contraption I had when I broke my arm and foot when I was a kid.

"Just be careful with it and it'll be healed in a week. Try not to use it too much and it should be healed faster." I nod and get up, leaving med.

"Girl!" Yondu yells and I roll my eyes, ignoring him for the time being as I go to my quarters. Judging from the Crew's looks, he follows me and I go into my quarters, slamming the door on his face. I lock the door and go over to my couch, flopping on it to lay down before throwing my left arm over my eyes.

The door suddenly opens and I ignore it, head pounding already. I stand and go over to my bar, getting water, and something for my head. I pop the two pills in my mouth and down the water, back to the door. Heavy boots come over, angry, and I wait before stepping out of the way so Kraglin grabs at air instead of me. "'Sup, Kragsy?" I finish the water and toss it in the garbage chute before turning to see everyone from the airlock, minus Nebula, in my quarters and Jay looking at me apologetically.

"He threatened to beat me then kill me after he punched me in the face in front of the crew..." He nods toward Yondu and I nod toward the door with a soft noise of acknowledgment. He nods once and quickly leaves, shutting the door behind him.

"Wha'cha do ta yer hand?" Kraglin raises an eyebrow at me and I flex my hand slightly.

"Punched a wall cuz it got in my way." He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, right."

"I'm being fully serious. I punched the wall before going back to the airlock. And... Yeah. This is busted for a week. Whoo-hoo!" I say sarcastically and run my other hand through what's left of my hair.

"What happened to your hair? This style looks ugly," Drax says simply and I glare at him. "Much like Mantis, who is hideous."

"And that's toxic, you're a toxic person. Fuck you, Drax."

"Oh, no, he is correct. I am quite hideous to look at." I go through the extensive list of swear words from all languages I learned from Yondu's crew, all directed at Drax, and they watch silently.

When I'm done, I take a short breath and look at Mantis. "Drax is a dumbass and you are unique, making you beautiful in your own way. Congratulations." She looks slightly shocked and I pull my glove off with my teeth, offering her my bare hand. She takes it and her antennas glow while she looks to see if I was telling the truth.

She suddenly hugs me and I stumble back a step, arms wrapping around her instinctively. "Thank you, Rogue!" She squeezes around my neck and I squeeze her back a bit. "You are very sweet!"

"Um, yeah... No problem, Ladybug..." I pat her back awkwardly and she lets me go, smiling brightly at me.

"I like your haircut, it looks very nice. And it shows your implant, which will cause anxiety and fear in your enemies as it does with Yondu." She smiles brighter and I smile a tiny awkward smile, not sure how to respond.

"Um... Yeah... Uh... Thanks..." I gently pat her head and she giggles before going back over to Dad, who was kinda glaring at me. "What?"

"You kicked me in the groin!"

"That is true."

"And you haven't apologized!"

"That is also true."

"Are you going to apologize?"

"Nope." I pop the 'p' and he glares at me more. "You were annoying me. I could've stabbed you. But I didn't. You're welcome." I pull my glove back on with my teeth and he starts to come over to me.

"I'm going to beat you." He grabs for me and I dodge to the side easily, hooking my foot in his ankle to trip him before stepping away. He glares at me as he stands and I just smirk at him.

"You haven't gotten that many new tricks, old man." He growls and I just grin. "Anyway... I got things to do, people to hurt, shit to steal. There's the door." I bow my head slightly at them and go toward my desk, turning on my heel as my jacket kicks up around me. I grab a holopad from my desk and look through it as I grab a protein bar from a drawer, holopad resting against my side and forearm.

"How do you stand those things?" I turn to see them still there and Rocket points toward the protein bar as I tear it open with my teeth. "They're disgusting!"

"I dunno, I don't think they're terrible..." I take a bite and hold it between my teeth as I look at the holopad, spinning my desk chair to sit in it. I miss and fall on the floor, getting up seamlessly. "I meant to do that. Shut up, Rat." I sit in my chair and rest the holopad on my knee as I cross my left leg over my right knee, looking at it.

"You're graceful today." Martinex chuckles and I roll my eyes, eating the protein bar. The door opens and Jay comes in, handing me a couple of holopads.

"New missions. Goes from the top according to payout. Jaz labeled them with tape for difficulty level." I look at them and see most of the high paying ones had some red tape, raising an eyebrow at Jay. "The employer wants to find someone for the missions so they're offering high payout levels." He shrugs one shoulder and I nod. "Anything else?"

"Wanna help me kick these guys out?" He scoffs and leaves, shaking his head.

"You're on your own there. Have fun." He shuts the door behind him and I look through some of the missions before setting them on my desk for further deliberation, returning my attention to the original holopad.

"Girl." I look up and Yondu takes a picture with that damned holopad of his, chuckling.

"Y'know, you should give up being a Captain and go into the photography business." He scoffs and flips me off to which I just smirk in response. "And I'm sorry for kicking you in the groin, Dad. Are you OK?"

"I'm fine." He huffs and I chuckle a bit, nodding. "Fine, we're leaving. But don't do anything stupid. Or I'm gonna kill you."

"Promises, promises." He leaves with the others and I'm alone in my quarters. "Gods, finally..." I lean back in my chair and sigh softly.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four months later, I'm in controls after a hellish, but successful, mission, relaxing in my chair while the rest of the crew celebrates, and I get a transmission. "Gods, can't be left alone for a minute, can I, little bets?" I answer it and Stakar was there. "Stakar." I give him the Ravager Salute and he returns it. "What can I do for you?"

_"It's almost time for our yearly stop on Terra. For the holiday."_

"Christmas?" He nods and I nod back a bit, running my hand through what hair had grown over the four months. "Alright. I'll meet you in the same field as last year. Will the other Clans be there?" He nods again and I nod back. "Sounds good." He ends the transmission and I set a course for the field.

When I land, all of the Captains of the Clans were waiting with Dad and his group and I get off of my ship, a baggy warm coat on. Oh, I forgot to mention. I was pregnant and it seemed like it was going to last this time, so that's awesome. "Hey. Are your crews already at the cabin?" I smile at Stakar a bit and Yondu digs around in his pocket.

"No," Stakar says while Yondu pulls out a holopad and hands it to me.

"What's this?" I take it and look through it, seeing a catalog of the missions that my crew had been on for the past three months after I had found out I was pregnant and Tex grounded me onto the ship for the entire thing. I look through it a bit more and notice that Jay was the one leading all of them. "Stakar, what's this about?"

"Keep looking." I glance at him and he looked pissed. I keep looking through it and see pictures of Jay with slavers, slaves in chains while he gets units for them. Then pictures of Jay stealing from the other Clan's ships, pictures of him with _not_ sexbots, and proof of him killing one of the crewmembers without a good reason before getting rid of their body on a mission.

"Did you know about this?" I shake my head, voice stuck in my throat, and Mantis comes over, taking a glove off to grab my bare hand.

"She is telling the truth." I take my hand back and contact Nebula.

_"Yes, Captain?"_

"Nebula, have Jaz and Tex bring Jay out. Now."

_"Aye, Captain."_ I end the transmission and grip the holopad in my fist.

Jaz and Tex escort Jay out and he looks at me. "You wanted to see me, Captain?" He looks at the other Captains and looks back at me. "Are we heading to the cabin soon?" I don't respond and he sees the holopad in my hand. "What's that?"

"You broke the Code. Every piece of it. You stole from the other Clans. You killed Jax without good reason and abandoned his body on a mission. You dealt in sentient beings. And you weren't with sexbots." I finally growl out and Dad takes a small step back, having never seen me this angry before.

"Do you have proof of that?" Jay scoffs and I spin on him, grabbing him and throwing him to the ground.

"Cap'n, be careful!" Tex says suddenly and I glare at him. "Sorry..." He puts his hands up and backs away while I turn back to Jay.

"Yeah, I have proof of it. I was curious why you were acting so weird these past few months. Now I have my answer."

"Well, you being pregnant would be a good reason to be acting weird, too, Rogue."

"Not a good enough reason. You broke the Code! You are hereby exiled from the Ravagers."

"At least I don't have to keep pretending to be this guy anymore now." His body shimmers as he stands and it's a Skrull standing there. "I thought I'd have to wait until you popped to get out of that. I've been in it for three months since we caught him on Contraxia and sold him back to the Kree." I whistle sharply and he moves quickly to avoid the arrow, reaching for me.

Jaz and Tex knock him to the ground and pin him there. "Cap'n?" Tex looks at me as I look myself over, fine, and I nod a bit.

"Rocket, blaster." Rocket hands me a blaster and I go over to the Skrull, blasting his head off. Then blasting the rest of his body to make sure he stays dead once the guys move and I hand Rocket the blaster back once I'm satisfied.

"You're pregnant?" Dad asks and I nod a bit. "So that's why you aren't on the list of the crew that went on the missions?"

"Yup. I guess the fourth time was the charm instead of the third." I scoff and run a hand through my hair. "Gods... Those idiots got smarter... Three months... I've been around a Skrull for three months... While Jay... Gods..." I rub my face and Mantis looks at me, gently grabbing my bare hand to help me relax while her antennas glow.

Tex nods at her in thanks and she just smiles. I relax and Mantis lets go of my hand. Dad comes over and gently grabs my shoulder, making me look at him. "We'll get him back, Rogue. We'll find him. You go to the cabin and take anyone you think you'll need. Mantis and Groot included." I nod a bit and run a hand through my hair, thinking about who to come to the cabin with me instead of the reason they're going to go to the cabin with me.

"Tex... And Kraglin and Martinex, if you guys can spare them..." I look at Yondu and Stakar and they just nod.

"I'll be staying as well," Aleta says and I nod my understanding. Groot runs over to Mantis and she picks him up before he jumps onto my shoulder.

"Hey, Twig." He smiles at me and I smile a tiny bit back.

"Let us go to the cabin." Mantis hands me my glove and I put it back on, nodding a bit. Aleta leads the way and I follow with Tex and Mantis while Groot sits on my shoulder, holding onto my hair gently. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some research and I'm going to go according to this for the Thanos death scene:  
> Based on Marvel comics, Thanos is an immortal because he is from Titan. Titans are considered to be eternal, meaning having traits of immortality, unless killed intentionally.


	23. Chapter 23

When we get to the cabin, Tex frets over me and I just sit down on the couch. "Tex."

"Yes, Cap'n?" I just stare at him and he clears his throat awkwardly. "Sorry, Cap'n... I'll, um... I'm just gonna sit down for now, then..." He does that when I nod and Mantis sits next to me while I take my gloves off.

"How are you feeling?" I just shrug and take my coat off, pushing it to rest behind me.

There's a knock at the door and I start to get up but Mantis holds me down while Aleta answers the door. She steps aside and Kraglin and Martinex come in. I stand, Groot still on my shoulder, and Kraglin looks at me.

"Yer gittin' a gut, kid."

"Yup."

"Ya gonna do anythin' 'bout it?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Hard to control the rate of speed a kid grows inside of you, Kragsy." He comes over and looks me over before ruffling my hair.

"Ya a'right?" I shrug and Groot gently pats my head. Kraglin does the same, smirking a bit, and I shove at his head slightly before going to get a drink.

"Um, Cap'n?"

"What, Tex?"

"No caffeine..." He calls carefully and I rub my face.

"Yes, Tex, I remember. Thank you, Tex. Anything else I can eliminate, Tex?" There's no response and I get a bottled water before going back to the living room. "Is this OK, or should I not drink this either?"

"Sorry..." He rubs the back of his neck and I sit down next to Mantis again, drinking the water. There's silence and everyone, except Aleta, looks uncomfortable.

"I am Groot?" Groot points at the TV and I grab the remote, turning it on before looking at him.

"That's what you wanted, right?" He nods and I give him the remote so he can find something. "I'm surprised that any of this still works..." He scrolls through the channels and stops when a commercial for McDonald's pops up.

"I am Groot!" He points at it excitedly and I chuckle softly.

"It's a fast-food joint. I think there's one down the road. Everyone says it's a shitty place, but I thought it was good. Especially when I managed to get away with a bag full of food from some poor sap." I snicker a bit and run a hand through my hair while everyone looks at me. "What?"

"You stole food from people when you were a kid?"

"I don't know why you sound so surprised, Sparkles, but yes. I did. I needed to eat and the people I stole from had the money for fancy cars so they had the money to buy more cheap food." I roll my eyes and Mantis looks at me closely.

"You are an interesting person. You talk about your past with amusement but you have anger and hatred deep within you when you bring it up." I gape at her and she motions to where my bare arm was against her hand.

"Oh... Huh..." I move my hand and Groot slides into my lap, patting my arm gently. "Anyway, moving away from feelings and emotions... Any chance I can get someone to go get me some food from there?"

"How? None of us speak your language and only Kraglin and Aleta look remotely Terran."

"Rephrasing... Any chance I can get someone to go with me to go get some food from there?"

"You shouldn't be outside too long, Cap'n." 

"Tex."

"Shutting up now, Cap'n..." He sinks into his chair a bit and I run a hand through my hair again.

"Oh, my fucking Gods. This is annoying me." I grab my thigh knife and simply slice my hair off, moving Groot to Mantis' lap, before going to throw it in the garbage in the kitchen. I lean against the edge of the sink a bit, feeling nauseous, and lean over the edge of the sink, breathing slowly through my nose.

"Ya a'right, kid?" Kraglin asks from the doorway and I nod a bit.

"Morning sickness is not just in the morning... According to Tex's research, it's supposed to end soon... I hope it does... It's fucking annoying..."

"Ya still wanna go ta tha' food place?" I motion for him to hang on and he shuts up as I end up throwing up in the sink, mainly just acid because I haven't eaten yet today.

When I'm done, I run water in the sink and swish some in my mouth to get rid of the nasty taste. "Feel betta?"

"Shuddup..." I mutter and stand straight up, feeling slightly lightheaded now. "You got any protein bars or something?" He shakes his head and goes to see if anyone else does with me following after a moment.

"Here, Cap'n." Tex tosses me one and I raise an eyebrow at him as I take a bite.

"Oh, Gods... No..." I go into the kitchen and spit it into the garbage, unable to stomach the taste right now. "Just no... Gods... Is that what these taste like to you guys?" Kraglin kinda nods and I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Gods... That's... No... Just... No..." I drink some water after Martinex tosses me the bottle and down it quickly.

Mantis was giggling with Groot and I kinda glare at them. I go into the living room, grabbing another bottled water, and snatch a pad of paper and pen from the table. "Wha'cha doin'?" Kraglin asks and I write out what I want from McDonald's on it.

"You want to go to the truck, get under the seat you sat in, and get some of the money I stashed there after the trip to the store?" He nods and goes to get it. I write out the order for six large Big Mac meals with Coca-Cola and a McNugget Happy Meal with apple slices and water for Groot.

Kraglin comes back in with the money and hands it to me. I take it and count out a hundred, setting the rest on the table. I quickly scribble down another note that says 'KEEP THE CHANGE' and look over the first one, adding 'NO ICE WITH ONE COKE'. "Alright. Any of you able to read this?" I show it to them and they all shake their heads. "Awesome. I didn't accidentally write anything in Xandarian.

There's a knock on the door then Dad's barging in with an old guy tailing after him and I have my eyes narrowed, knife held in a throwing position. "Rogue, stand down! It's OK!" I glare at the old guy and activate my visor. "Seriously?" They both read 'TERRAN' and I deactivate my visor, looking at the old guy as I put my knife up while he sets a bag on the floor by the door.

"Who's the geezer?" Kraglin hits me in the head and I gape at him. "OW!"

"It's Petey's Pops. We went ta see 'im when ya was busy wit' yer tacos."

"Of course he'd go flouncing off to see some old dude instead of helping me with food." I dodge another hit to the head from Kraglin only to get one from Dad when I smirk at Kraglin and I glare at Dad. "You should not hit a pregnant lady. It's rude." Dad rolls his eyes and gives me a hug, which I return awkwardly. He then hugs the old guy, Pops, and leaves afterward.

"Be nice to him!" I mock him slightly behind his back and he flips me off. "I know you're mocking me, Rogue!" I flip off his retreating back and he gets back on the _Milano_ before taking off to go get Jay back.

I look at Pops and he looks at me. "Hello..." 

"You speak Terran? I mean, English? Wait, what language am I speaking, anyway? I just confused myself... Do you talk to other Terrans?" He nods and I grab the pad of paper. "Great! Can you go get this for us and whatever you want, please? And then I'll explain whatever you want once I have food." I hand him the pad of paper with the money and he looks at it then at me.

"Um... Sure... Do you have a vehicle?" I nod and lead him toward the garage. "Oh, thank you... I'll, um... I'll be back in a bit with the food then..."

"Thanks!" I smile at him and he smiles back a bit, going to get food.

"Did you seriously just send your grandfather to get you food?"

"Yep." I wait and watch TV with Groot. "Sweet, this show's dope." I sit on the floor by the table that Groot was sitting on and watch it contently, looking like a little kid.

Pops comes back and brings the bags of food in while Kraglin grabs the drinks. "Kid, yer food's here."

"Sweet! Gimme the bag, I'll dish it out." Pops gives me the bags and I dig through them, handing everyone food.

"We got stuff too?"

"Duh." I give Groot his Happy Meal box and help him open it to get his food. "You have a toy in here but you've got to eat your food first." He pouts at me and I just grin, pocketing the toy for now as I pat his head. He eats and his eyes widen a bit.

"I am Groot!" He tries to inhale his food and I stop him.

"Dude! I know it's good, but chew! I don't know how to stop you from choking! You can't have your toy if you're dead!" He nods a bit and eats slower. "Gods..." I open my Big Mac box and take the pickles off with a scowl.

"You're Pete's daughter?" I take a bite of the burger and nod. "How old are you? And how old were you when they abducted you?" I drink my Coke and look at him.

"Firstly, allow me to apologize ahead of time for my bad manners because they're atrocious and I know it, I just don't care enough to fix them because it doesn't matter. Secondly, they both did and didn't abduct me. They saved me from a house fire, numerous times, and kept me from being turned into a slave with this cunt bucket species called the Skrull." Groot gasps and I look to see him glaring at me. "Oh, shut up. Rocket's scolding you at every turn for your language." He huffs and continues eating. "Yeah, that's what I thought." I eat some of my fries and look back at Pops to see him glaring at me too.

"You shouldn't use that type of language. Especially if you're pregnant. The baby can hear you." I nod slowly and turn slightly to look at him fully, still sitting on the floor.

"So... What you're saying is... I shouldn't use words like..." I go through my expansive list of swears in the different languages and Pops gets kinda pale.

"Like those?" He shakes his head mutely to say I shouldn't use words like that and I nod a bit. "Yeah... No. I'll use whatever type of language I please. I do appreciate your opinion, though. Thank you. And, the only place I filter myself, is around my Mom."

"Where is your mother?"

"She died in a car accident when I was three while I walked away with minor injuries. I filter myself when I visit her grave."

"I'm sorry. How old are you now, then?"

"Good question. OK... Let's see... I was ten when I got picked up... Twenty-two when I beat Atar up... Turned twenty-three last time we were here... I'm twenty-four...?" I furrow my eyebrows and kinda nod. "Yeah, that sounds about right... Twenty-four. Ish. I'm not sure when my birthday is, just that it's in winter. So, yeah. I'm about twenty-four years old. Which makes you old, buddy." I eat a bite of my sandwich and Kraglin glares at me. "It does!" I argue around the bite and he rolls his eyes, sitting on the other side of Groot.

"Sorry 'bout 'er." I glare at him and he glares back.

"Don't apologize for me! I am a joy to be around!" Martinex snorts and coughs when I glare at him.

"You're right. You're an absolute joy to be around. Mainly because when you're around, there's never a dull moment. You keep everything interesting." He smirks at me and I kinda huff, just going back to eating my food.

"Awe, don' pout, kid." Kraglin teases and gently pets my head. I act like I'm gonna bite his hand and he laughs as he takes it away. "Ah dunno if ya got rabies, kid."

"If I do, I got them from you, Kragsy." I bare my teeth at him and he just chuckles.

"Or yer Daddy."

"Yeah, that's more likely." I kinda rub absentmindedly at my jaw where Yondu punched me and Kraglin raises an eyebrow. "Dude, Gramps has a mean right hook. Still hurts sometimes. He may be getting up there in age, but Gods... He keeps in shape and his muscles built up."

_"Ya sayin' 'm gittin' old, girl?"_ Yondu asks from behind me and I jump slightly, spinning to see Martinex holding his wrist com with a transmission to Yondu, Stakar, Charlie-27, Krugarr, Mainframe, Dad, and his crew.

"Whaaaat? Nooooo! I'd never say that!" My voice was a little higher than usual and I clear my throat. "How long has that transmission been going on?"

_"Long enough. I did not give you rabies."_ Dad glares at me and I just chuckle uncomfortably. _"And stop calling Pops old!"_

"It's true!" 

_"Wha's tha' make me an' Stakar? An' the other Cap'ns?"_

"Um... As young and good looking as ever?" I try and Yondu raises an eyebrow at me while I chuckle nervously. "Please don't eat me... I like living..."

"Wait, what?!"

"Oh, yeah. It's been a whole threat since Dad got picked up. We all have issues." Pops looks between me and the transmission and wasn't saying anything. "Um, Dad, I think we broke him."

_"Damnit, Rogue!"_

"How is this my fault?!" He just stares at me and I kinda shrug. "Yeah, OK... How do I fix him?" He shrugs and I get up, going over to him. "Hello? You still in there?" I wave my hand in front of his face and he doesn't respond. "Well... This is gonna piss people off..." I slap him across the face and step away, not knowing how he'll respond.

He jumps and stares at me. "OW!"

_"What the Hell, Rogue?!"_ I flip Dad off and he growls. _"Don't hit Pops!"_

"He's fine!" I look at Pops and he was kinda glaring at me. "You're OK, right?" He doesn't answer and I just nod a bit. "See? He's fine!" I sit back down next to Groot and give him his toy since he was done eating.

_"You gave him McDonald's?! That stuff's junk!"_

"He had apple slices!" I wave a hand slightly and Groot plays with his toy happily. "And look at how happy he is!" He doesn't respond and I smirk a bit, knowing I won the argument before I turn to look at the transmission again. "Any luck so far?"

_"Not yet. We're still looking for where he might be. He could be on a ship, any of the planets, or even Hala. They've upped security since the last time we were there,"_ Mainframe says and I nod a bit, kinda wringing my hands. _"Are you alright?"_ She nods towards my hands and I stop.

"Yeah, my fingertips get cold sometimes. Just... Keep me updated, please."

_"We will."_ Stakar nods and Martinex ends the transmission. I turn back to the table and absentmindedly bite my fingernails, not realizing I was.

"Kid." I look at Kraglin and he pulls my hand away from my mouth. "Yer bitin' yer nails. Ya do tha' when yer nervous or worried."

"No, I don't."

"Kid, ya lived on the same ship as me fer years. Ah think Ah know wha'cha do when yer nervous or worried. Ya always did tha' 'fore a mission 'till ya was... Fifteen. Yer worried 'bout yer boy."

"If I were worried, which I'm not, it'd be a good reason." He just pushes my food closer and I feel Mantis gently rest a hand on the back of my neck before calmness washes over me.

"Ya gotta eat fer now, Kid..." I nod and eat some fries. "Tha' a girl..." He mutters and gently pats my shoulder.

When I finish eating, Tex deals with the garbage and sits back down, thankfully not fretting over me this time. Kraglin was keeping a careful eye on me while I watch some TV with Groot, arms folded on the table with my chin on them, and talks to Pops.

I manage to hold still until the end of the episode and I stand up, going over to a closet. "Wha'cha doin'?" I just pull out a couple of boxes and take them back over, setting them on the table as I sit down.

"We can't read that stuff, you know that, right?" Martinex asks carefully and I grab a notebook and pen, writing carefully in Xandarian. "We can read that, though..." Kraglin looks at what I was writing and snorts. "What?" He looks over my shoulder and reads it. "'Shut the fuck up, Sparkles, I do have brain cells to rub together in my skull.' Thanks, Rogue." He rolls his eyes and sits across the table from me.

"What do you have?" Pops comes over and stands over me to look. "What's Dungeons and Dragons?"

"It's a roleplaying game. It's more or less our lives but with more monsters and magic." He nods a bit and stays standing over me, making me nervous. "You want to sit down or something?" I ask harsher than I mean to and he takes a bit of a step back. "Sorry... Will you sit down and not stand over me?"

"Yeah, sorry. Um, could you get me a chair?" Tex nods and grabs a chair from the kitchen, setting it at the end of the table Pops was on. "Thanks." He sits and looks at me. "How do you play that?"

"No clue. Rules are included." I grab the rulebook and look through it a bit, getting a headache quickly. I toss it on the table and Pops takes it, looking through it.

"Let's play Monopoly instead." He opens the box for it and sets it up while I write what the cards and stuff say on the bottom of them in Xandarian.

"What's this say?" I look at the board and write what each of the squares says in Xandarian too. "Thanks." Pops looks at everyone in the room and Aleta watches him.

"Are you guys going to play too?" Mantis nods excitedly and sits on one side of me while Aleta sits on the other side behind Groot.

"How do we play?" Pops passes out the money and I set up the bank with what was left while explaining the rules.

"You go around the board and try to get as much property and money as possible. Without stealing, sadly. You use the paper money to buy properties and the dice to show how many spaces you move. When you pass 'GO' you get to collect more money. The one who has the most money and or properties at the end wins. Having more property means you get to make people who land on the space pay rent and you get their money until they're broke. If you land on this square, you go to jail, which is this square, and if you roll two of the same number three times, you go to jail." They nod a bit and Pops sets the pieces down.

"I am Groot!" Groot glares at the hat piece and I just set it on 'GO' with the other pieces.

"I'll be the hat, Groot. Chill." Pops was looking at me weird and I notice. "He doesn't like hats." He nods a bit and everyone chooses a piece. Aleta chooses the battleship, Martinex chooses the thimble, Pops chooses the Scottie dog, Kraglin chooses the car, Groot chooses the wheelbarrow, Mantis chooses the cat, and Tex chooses the boot. We decide to skip the rolling of the dice to choose who went when and decide to have Mantis go first, going in a circle. It went Mantis, Pops, Martinex, Kraglin, Tex, Groot, Aleta, then me. We start to play the game and have fun.

When Stakar next contacts us with the other part of the dysfunctional family, we're still playing the original game and he finishes his turn. "Yes, Captain?" He pays Pops for a property I was going to buy and I glare at him.

_"How's Rogue doing?"_

"She's doing fine. She looks like she's going to kill me right now."

"I should! I was gonna buy that, you ass! That's the last one I need to finish the color set!"

"I'll sell it to you."

"Screw you!" He snickers and notices the people on the com were looking at him like he was crazy.

"We're playing Monopoly." Dad rolls his eyes and Kraglin yelps a bit. "And Rogue's getting violent..."

"Cuz you assholes keep buying the only ones I need to make you have to pay me more!"

"Ya can just buy 'em from us! Ya ain't gotta hit us!"

"It's more fun to hit you." I stick my tongue out at Kraglin for a moment and he rolls his eyes, flicking me in the forehead. Which the others see over the com and I glare at him.

"Yer a child." Groot taps me and I play my turn, having to go to jail. "HA!" He puts my hat in the jail square and I flip him off, which he returns easily.

"How's it coming, Pops?"

_"We're narrowing it down. You just keep playing your game and try not to hurt them too much. Aleta bites back."_

"Could've used that warning an hour ago..." I mutter and Aleta just smirks when Stakar glares at her.

"She was getting sassy. And tried to steal some of the paper money in the game." Stakar rolls his eyes and I look at Kraglin and Martinex when it's Martinex's turn.

"What do you two want in trade for those properties?" Kraglin raises an eyebrow at me and I just stare at him, waiting.

"Four hundred. For each of us." I raise an eyebrow at Martinex and he just smirks a bit. "We had to pay two hundred, we need to get some profit back."

"Alright." I give Martinex four hundred in trade for New York Avenue and he gives it to me before I do the same with Kraglin for the Short Line Railroad. 

_"You're a giant child."_ Dad scoffs and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, who do you think I learned it from, Dad?" He doesn't have a response for that and I pay to get out of jail before playing my turn. I feel a wicked smirk spread across my face and look at Pops. "You got any pictures of Dad when he was a kid?"

_"No, he doesn't!"_ Dad says quickly and Pops just goes over to the door, grabbing the bag he set there. _"Pops! No!"_

"I've got them right here." Pops sits down and the game sits forgotten so we can look at the pictures.

"Damn, Petey. Ya was a fat kid."

_"All babies are chunky, Krags!"_

"Yeah, sure." I snicker and he glares at me.

"What'd I do? I just wanted to see if you always had an ugly mug or if you got it from getting old." He rolls his eyes and I look at his pictures, just wanting to see some pictures of him when he was a kid with his family and to see some more pictures of his mom. "Is that him with his mom?" Pops looks and nods, smiling.

"It was when he got his Walkman. He was happy as a clam."

_"Too bad Ego destroyed it."_

"Wait, what?" I look at Dad, confused, and he raises an eyebrow at me. "Ego was before I got on Yondu's ship, but you still had your Walkman. How the Hell did you manage that?"

_"It wasn't a Walkman. It was a Zune. The same thing Krags gave you after you beat the shit out of Flint. Just less of a shitty design."_

"Huh... Alright then." I go back to looking at the pictures and turn the page, not noticing Pops looking at me.

"Do you have any photos like these here?" I shrug and he stands, going to look while I continue to look through the photo album. I go back to the page with Dad and his mom when he got his Walkman and look at her face, not noticing Mantis gently touching my bare arm.

"Why are you so sad, Rogue?" I blink and look at her, raising an eyebrow. "You are feeling overwhelming levels of sadness. Why?" I shrug and Pops comes down the stairs with photo albums. I stand and go over to help him, leaving the photo album open to that page. "Is it because of this picture with Peter and his mother?" Pops hands me a couple of photo albums and sits on the couch next to me to look through them. "Rogue?"

"What?" I snap and Mantis flinches a bit, which makes me feel like shit. "Sorry, I don't know why you felt sadness coming from me. Emotions are difficult for me to understand, alright?" She nods and I look through one of the photo albums.

"What was your mother's name? And why'd you choose that album to start with?" I tense slightly and force my body to relax as I freeze in opening the album.

"I don't remember it. And her headstone is too rusted to be able to make her name out. I've tried to." I look through one of the older albums and see a picture of a little girl, carefully taking it out of the sleeve. "And my sister used to bring me up here to show me this one before she didn't have time to anymore."

"Who's that?"

"My mom..." I turn it over and look at the date and name scrawled on the back of it. "'June second of eighty-five, my little solar Solstice, two years old', Solstice..." I murmur and gently slide the picture back into the sleeve.

"Couldn't you have asked Pete for her name?" Pops asks and I look at Dad with him, who looked very uncomfortable. "Pete?"

_"I, um... I couldn't remember either... We didn't use our names often...Unless we were in the be-"_

"NO!" I cut him off, glaring at him, and he shuts up. "Just, no. You are not allowed to ever finish that sentence." He just nods and I go back to looking at the pictures, moving on to the newer ones.

"Tha's ya when ya was a baby?" Kraglin asks, looking at a picture of a baby in a machine in a hospital, and I nod a bit. "Why ya in tha' thing?"

"I was born prematurely, had breathing issues, and was too small... And it was a traumatic delivery process... That's Kat standing there with my tiny little fist wrapped around her pinky... And that's Mom standing behind her..." I carefully slide it out and look at the back. "'Keiko with baby Raziah', guess Kat's name wasn't Kat... Not surprised my grandparents changed her name too..." I scoff slightly and look at my name. "Raziah..."

"That's a pretty dope name," Martinex says from behind the couch and I nod a bit to show my agreement, sliding the picture back where it goes. "What is that thing, anyway?"

"An incubator... They're for newborns who have medical issues..."

_"You're probably the only baby that wasn't chunky..."_ Dad says awkwardly and I shrug one shoulder, slowly looking through all of the pictures.

_"Ya a'right, girl?"_ I nod and snort at a picture of Mom and Dad. _"Wha'?"_ I take it out and hold it up. They were dressed up for Halloween as the two main characters from Footloose, Ren, and Ariel, and Dad chuckles.

"Footloose Halloween couples costume. You're cheesy as Hell." He scoffs and I can tell he's flipping me off.

_"Footloose is an American classic!"_

"I didn't say it wasn't. Just that you're an idiot who thinks doing a couples costume is cool."

_"I am not an idiot."_

"You are one of the biggest idiots in the Galaxy."

_"At least I don't go around calling myself the Warrior of it."_ He scoffs and I roll my eyes, tilting my head back to look at the transmission.

"That's because you and your crew go around calling yourselves the Guardians of it. Nebula also thinks you're a bunch of idiots and I agree." He rolls his eyes and I look at Stakar. "Anything new?" He shakes his head and I nod a bit. "Alright. Thanks, Stakar." He nods slightly and I go back to looking through the albums, pulling my legs up to sit cross-legged.


	24. Chapter 24

While I was distracted with pictures, Tex, Groot, Aleta, and Mantis have illegally traded out everyone else's properties to their own hands and Groot had won. "I am Groot!" He jumps up and down and I chuckle.

"Congrats, Twig. Wanna look at some pictures now?" He hops from the table onto the couch and I put him in my lap where he could see the pictures.

"Ya was always scrawny, huh?" Kraglin asks and I nod a bit.

"These pictures only go to when I was three, but yeah. I guess I was always scrawny." I look at the last picture and smile a tiny bit. Groot touches it and points to a younger version of me on Mom's shoulders.

"I am Groot?"

"Yeah, that was me. This was the last picture I ever got to take with Mom... And Kat... All of the other ones got burned that day... Oh well." I shrug one shoulder and Groot looks through the pictures again.

"So, how did Pete do raising you after you left Terra?" There's silence and I use that to my advantage to think of a good answer.

"He... Got help from Yondu and Kraglin with raising me. And he taught me the finer side of music while Yondu and Kraglin taught me things that would make sure I didn't die."

_"I did that too!"_ I just nod and scratch my neck awkwardly.

"I'm gonna go get a drink..." I go to the kitchen and get a bottled water.

_"I'll contact you again when we have information on Jay, Martinex."_

"Alright, Captain." The transmission ends and I lean against the fridge, letting out a slow breath.

"Yer Daddy didn' do a lot with bringin' ya up good, Kid. An' ya know tha'," Kraglin says simply, leaning in the doorway, and I look at him.

"Yeah, I know. Didn't want to be that much of an asshole where I brought that up to his face and in front of his Pops, Krags. I am capable of human emotions, like empathy. I just don't pay attention to them..." I unclip my cassette tape Walkman from my waistband(I carry both of them around because I fucking can) and turn it over in my hands, thinking as I walk back to the living room with my water. "Hey, do you have any copies of Dad's old music?" I look between Pops and Kraglin and they both nod.

"Why?" I use something on my wrist com to look at the date and it was about two weeks before Christmas.

"If his Walkman got destroyed, his music might've too..."

"Is that sentiment I hear?" Aleta mocks and I rub the back of my neck awkwardly, shrugging one shoulder. "It is! I didn't think you were capable of it for anyone besides your mother and sister!" 

"Well, I'm full of surprises, aren't I?" She chuckles, nodding, and I sit on the couch, turning my Walkman in my hands still as I think. "You got the copies on you?" I look at Pops and he nods, grabbing them out of his bag. "What do you have in there?" He pulls out a cassette tape of music labeled 'PETE'S MUSIC FROM MEREDITH', a box of ornaments, and a recipe for Christmas cookies. "Huh... OK, then..."

"Pete asked me to bring stuff that we used to do for Christmas when he was a kid." I nod and he puts everything but the cassette tape back in the bag. "Here." I take it and turn it over in one hand before swapping it out with my tape in my Walkman. There's silence and I wrap the headphones cord around the Walkman before setting it on the coffee table.

"Not. A. Word." No one says anything and I take the headphones from my other Walkman, putting one in my ear to listen to music.

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A week passes and I'm sitting on the couch, playing a card game with Pops. Kraglin and Martinex come in from checking the _Winter_ and I look at them. "Anything from Stakar?"

"Not yet, Rogue." I nod a bit and go back to the game, not able to focus.

"Cap'n, you need to get some sleep," Tex says carefully and I look at him, not looking amused. "I could store my Doc gear in the bags under your eyes, Cap'n. You need to sleep. It's a necessity, not something that's optional."

"Thank you, Tex. I know that." I rub my face a bit, cards set face down on my leg, and pick my cards back up to look at them. "What the Hell are we playing again?" Pops just sets the cards down and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"That's the tenth time you've asked since we started it. Go upstairs and go to bed. The baby needs you to sleep."

"Fine. Gods..." I toss the cards on the table and stand, stretching a bit. Pops looks at the cards and smirks a bit.

"You were going to lose anyway." I roll my eyes and go upstairs, sitting on the edge of the bed in the master bedroom. I take my weapons and wrist com off and set them up the same way I do when I'm on my ship, laying down to sleep for a while.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I wake, it's to a loud ruckus downstairs and I get up, moving as silently as possible as I activate my mask after attaching my weapons where they go, a new blaster included. I notice Stakar and Yondu holding Jay between them while a group of people were in front of them and I grip the handle of my Katana tighter, whistling to send my arrow at them. They turn and duck before I whistle again to send it soaring for the head of someone else.

"Get wrecked!" Someone yells and I spin on the stair, letting someone fall down the rest of them. "Ow..." They groan and I put my boot on their chest, pointing my Katana at the rest of the group.

"Who the fuck are you and why are you in my fucking cabin?!" I deactivate my mask and look at them then at the person my boot's on. "Wait... Wait a Gods damned minute... You're fucking Spider-Man..." I take my boot off of his chest and he scrambles up while I look at the others. "Why are the fucking Avengers in my damned house?!"

"Why do you have fucking aliens in your house?! Are you an alien?!" Iron Man yells at me and I look at him. Thor suddenly throws his hammer at me and I duck down.

"Dude! What the fuck?!" I glare at him and he makes his hammer come back to his hand. "Yondu, Stakar, take Jay up to the master bedroom, Tex go with and patch him up!" They nod and do that, moving around the Avengers carefully.

"Wait! I know you!" I look at Spider-Man and he was staring at me, I think. "You're that kid that went missing after her family died in a fire, over a decade ago!" He takes his mask off and he was a decent looking guy, but Jay's better looking. "You got abducted by aliens?!"

"I got saved by aliens, jackass. I'm Terran like you idiots. Well, other than Thor..." I whistle my arrow to my shoulder and go down the rest of the stairs, over to Groot who was standing on a bookshelf, terrified. "Groot, come here, little buddy." He hops into my hands and I put him on my shoulder, gently patting his head as he wraps his arms around my head.

"I should kill you for scaring Groot. Asshats. I fucking swear." Captain America was staring at me and I look at him. "If you take a picture, it will last longer, Cap." He looks taken aback and Mantis comes out from where she was hiding.

"Are you alright, Rogue, Groot?" Groot nods for both of us and I was still glaring at the Avengers, glancing around a bit.

"Where's Hulk?" Hulk busts in through the wall and heads straight for me. I quickly unholster my blaster and Captain America get between us.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down!" He holds his hands out to both of us and Hulk stops, glaring at me.

"He fucking busted through my wall! There's a Gods damned hole there! I need there to be a damned wall, not a fucking hole! I'm gonna blast a fucking hole in him in fucking return!" I point my blaster at Hulk and Cap pushes it down.

"You are very unladylike," He mutters and I glare at him before Chuck Norris kicking him in the head, making him fall on his face.

"Fuck you, you mother fucking filthy cunt bucket!" I growl and hear Thor's hammer flying at my head. "Fuck!" I bend backward to avoid it and end up falling on my back. "Ah, shit... Really should've kept up on training during the past four months..." I groan and Thor puts his hammer on my torso, my blaster on the floor next to me.

"There. That should keep her from killing us."

"If ya don' take tha' hammer off 'a m'kid brother's kid's chest, 'M gonna kill all 'a ya," Kraglin growls and has a blaster pointed at them with Dad and his crew too. They turn to look at them and I try to lift the fucking hammer off of me.

"Mother fucking cunt buckets... Get the fuck off, you piece of shit..." I push at it and Groot pulls at it, extending his arms to wrap around it more. He then throws it and I look at him, surprised. "Thanks, Groot..." I pat his head gently and he smiles at me, checking to make sure I'm OK. "I'm OK... I'll be better once I know for sure that Thor's fucking hammer didn't hurt the baby!" I snarl at Thor and he looks taken aback.

"My apologies. I was unaware that you were with a child. I just assumed that you were normally the size you are now." I look at him and can tell my implant is flashing blue in quick successions.

"Did you just call her fat?!" Rocket howls with laughter and I glare at him, making him shut up. "Sorry..." I notice my arrow flitting around my head and whistle sharply, making it slice Thor's cheek. He summons his hammer into his hand and I look at him.

"You really wanna fuck with the chick who has an arrow she controls with a whistle?! And has a blaster, a Katana, and two other knives?! If I were you, I fucking wouldn't! Because I'll kick all of your fucking asses and not break a damned sweat doing it!" I snarl and tighten my grip on my Katana, feet moving of their own accord into a stance to move easily with it.

"OK, let's all just calm down!" Spider-Man stands between me and the other Avengers, looking at me. "That's dope. Where'd you get that?" I narrow my eyes at him and he puts his hands up a bit. "Alright, not in the mood for talking. I can work with that." He moves his hands before shooting his webs at me and I move quickly, Groot getting caught in them. "I did not mean to do that!" He says quickly and I unhook something from my boot, throwing it at his knees. He falls and I quickly undo the webs from Groot.

"You alright, Groot?" He nods and I pass him to Mantis, standing between them with my Katana tight in my fists. "I'm going to give you all to the count of five before I want you out of my cabin. If you aren't by the time I'm done counting, I'm going to start killing people. Five."

"Whoa! Whoa! Alright! Let's all just take a breath!" Iron Man deactivates his mask and I look at him. "I can pay to fix your wall! It's all good! Let's put our weapons down!" Tony Stark yells and I glare at him, licking my lips quickly. "Alright, I'll start." His suit opens up and he steps out of it, pushing the suit into the corner.

"You wear a suit underneath your metal suit?" I scoff and he shrugs one shoulder. "I ain't putting my weapons up until everyone else has theirs up." Thor hangs his hammer up on a coat rack, Cap sets his shield under it, and Spider-Man looks awkward. Hulk powers down and I throw a blanket at him when his clothes kinda fall off. Black Widow puts her weapons up, the guy with a metal arm crosses his arms, the blue version of Iron Man takes his suit off too before putting it next to Tony's suit, the guy with metal wings fold the wings at his back, the guy with a bow and arrow lowers them, a guy appears out of the carpet as he takes his mask off, and the last two people just watch me.

"Your turn." 

"Yeah, I lied." I step toward them but Yondu's arrow flies in front of me and I look toward the stairs to see him coming down with Stakar.

"Put your weapons up," Stakar says and I slip my Katana into the Saya, looking at them while the others holster their weapons.

"How's Jay?"

"Tex is working on fixing him up right now. The Kree did a number on him and we're gonna have to work on getting him back to normal."

"Damnit..." I run a hand through my hair and feel Mantis rest a hand on my arm before I calm down. "Thanks, Mantis..." She nods and I look at the Avengers, seeing them watching me, very confused. "Jesus fucking Christ... Krags, you got any injectors for translator chips?" He nods and hands some to me.

"What are those?"

"You want to be able to understand what these guys are saying? You need these." I go over and grab Spider-Man, injecting the chip behind his ear.

"Ouch!"

"Kid!" I look at Kraglin and he was glaring at me. "Ya gotta... Neva mind..."

"Whoa! Cool!" I roll my eyes at Spider-Man and inject Thor next, seeing a guy dressed all in green wearing a helmet that had horns on it.

"Well hello there." He smiles at me and I grab the front of his clothes, hitting his stupid helmet off. "You seem like you're lovely." I just inject the chip in and he rubs it. "Well, that hurt."

"Well, guess you'll just have to suck it up, won't you, Loki?" I shove him against the wall and he grunts.

"Rogue." I look at Stakar and he was glaring at me. "Pretend that you like them."

"You got it, Pops." I look at Cap and motion at his head. "You wanna take that thing off?" He looks at me but does and I inject him with the chip. Kraglin was getting the rest and Dad was watching from the doorway, glaring at Thor.

"Can I help you, good sir?" I turn my head to see Thor was talking to Dad and Dad walks over to reply with a hit.

"Dad." He freezes and looks at me. "No." He growls but does back off and Kraglin and I finish injecting the Avengers with the chips. I look at Yondu and he comes down, grabbing my arm.

"We need ta talk, girl." He leads me through the house and I follow him onto the back porch, grabbing my scarf as I do. I wrap it on quickly and he leans against the porch railing. "Yer boy ain't a'right, girl."

"What's wrong with him?"

"A lot. He's got a lot 'a cuts on 'im. Yer Doc is doin' wha' he can. Yer boy is gonna have a lot 'a scars, girl. In 'ere too." He taps his head and I nod.

"That it, Gramps? I don't trust Dad to not kill everyone in there..." He nods and comes over, wrapping an arm around me gently. I let him for a moment and push him away. "I'm fine, Gramps. Let's just go inside." He leads me inside with a hand on my shoulder and I shrug it off before we get back to the living room, undoing my scarf to take it off as Tex comes downstairs. "How's he doing, Tex?"

"He's... Resting right now but I cleaned him up and got him patched up, Cap'n. You can go up to see him if you want. Just don't wake him." I nod and head upstairs, hanging my scarf on the bottom of the banister.

I go into the master bedroom and see Jay laying on the bed, patched up with bandages all over his body in a pair of boxers. I go over and gently pet his hair. "Oh... Alienboy... What'd they do to you?" He stirs a bit and I move my hand, taking a step back to be safe.

He suddenly pops up and crouches on the bed, growling loudly. "Jay... It's OK... Everything's fine..." He lunges for me and I have to activate my blaster boots to avoid him. "Jay, calm down... It's OK..." He lunges for me again and I avoid him, ending up going out the door, deactivating the boots. "Hey, Jay... It's alright... You're safe..." He lunges for me and I roll to the side before he goes soaring down the stairs. "Ah, shit..." I quickly go down the stairs and he crouches in an attack position while Thor summons his hammer before I freeze halfway down the stairs.

"Don't you fucking dare!" I bellow and Thor freezes while I look at Jay since he turned toward me at my voice. "No clue if this is gonna work... Jay, sit your ass down!" Jay responds by attacking me and I fling myself over the banister, rolling to a stop on the floor. "Not surprised that didn't work..." I watch him follow me and he seems to only be paying attention to me. "Whoo boy..." He attacks me and I barely manage to roll away, staying in a low crouch. 

"Want some help?" Dad asks and I shake my head slightly, watching Jay closely.

"Nah... I'm about ninety-five percent sure that I'll be able to handle this... Mainly by-" Jay attacks me again and I slide out of the way, sending him sprawling to the floor with a hit to his shoulderblades as I wince slightly in sympathy. "Avoiding his attacks and hopefully not hurting him anymore..." Jay rolls over and kicks at my chest but I step back so it doesn't land.

"Jay, come on, man. You've gotta work with me here." He lunges for my ankles and grabs one, knocking me onto my back with a grunt. "I said work with me, not fight!" I growl and kick my foot out of his hold, rolling away into a crouch while he does the same. "Jay. Come on. I don't want to hurt you." He grabs my knife from where it had fallen out of my holster, weird, at some point and lunges for me.

"But apparently you don't mind hurting me. Gods, dude!" I barely avoid getting stabbed in the stomach and he cuts my arm. "Fine." He swipes at me and I lean back, grabbing his arm. "Sorry, Alienboy..." I flip him and he lands on his back, my knife going flying. He grunts and I wince slightly in sympathy. "Any chance you're gonna stop being an idiot?" He stands and grabs me, throwing me. I activate my boots with smooth precision and land on the banister, deactivating them. "Guess that's a no." He advances for me and I hop onto the stairs, keeping the banister between us.

"So... You come here often?" I smirk at him and he grabs for my throat, missing because I lean back. "Geez, you could've just said no. Gods. So violent." He hops over the banister and lunges for me. I duck down and use his momentum to throw him over the other banister, wincing slightly when he hits the floor with a thud. "Yeah, that's gotta hurt..." I turn and see him starting to get up. "Damn. You get up more than an old guy's dick." Someone chokes on something and I had forgotten there was an audience.

"What?!" Dad yells and I shrug.

"I said what I said. Play some music. Gods." Someone puts some music on and I nod slightly. "Much better." Jay lunges at me and I step up a couple of stairs, making him slam into the banister. "Ouch." He growls and spins on me as I continue to go up the stairs, facing him. He follows and I stand in front of the open bathroom door. "Yeah... Keep on coming..." I barely bend my fingers at him and he lunges. "Shit!" I roll out of the way and he goes flying into the bathroom. "Fuck!" I quickly stand and slam the door shut, locking it with some difficulty since Jay was trying to wrench it open while I continue to cuss.

I slide down the banister once it's locked and simply toss Gamora my weapons, knowing he was going to be able to get out soon. "What are you doing?! Why don't you just kill him?!" Loki yells and I turn to glare at him.

"I'm not going to kill my fucking husband, you arrogant ass!" I slide Kraglin the knife that Jay had and he picks it up, looking toward the stairs.

"Didn't you lock him up?!"

"He knows how to work a fucking door, Spider-Boy!"

"Oh? I thought that aliens would be more... Um... Well, primitive...?"

"Firstly, rude. Secondly, Terrans who stay on Terra are the primitive ones. Honestly." Pops looked slightly offended and I shrug a bit. "Sorry, dude..." The bathroom door slams open and I step to the side as the shelf that was in there comes flying down the stairs. "Damn... Forgot how strong Xandarians could be when they wanted to... Hot damn... Gods..."

Jay comes down after and had made a weapon out of the shower rod, spinning it a bit. "Hey, uh... 'Mora, you got a fighting staff?" She tosses me one and I activate it. "Much appreciated." I take a slow breath and watch Jay stalk closer to me, still spinning the shower rod. Damn, that should not be as hot as it is... Focus, Rogue. Damnit. I narrow my eyes at him slightly and barely manage to block the shower rod from hitting me in the head.

"Focus, girl!" Yondu yells and I scoff.

"Thanks! I didn't think of that!" I yell back and Jay knocks me onto my back with the shower rod. "Whoo boy..." I hit him in the knee with my fighting staff and he falls to the floor next to me. I catch the shower rod in my hand and yank it away, tossing both of the weapons away before I pin him to the floor, straddling his torso. He growls and I keep him pinned down with a bit of difficulty.

"Alright, I'm tired of your bullshit," I growl and pin his wrists above his head with one hand while my other hand rests on the side of his head, our faces close enough that we're breathing each other's breath.

"That's kinda hot..." Spider-Man mutters and I'd roll my eyes if I weren't worried that the second I broke eye contact with Jay he'd try to kill me.

"You done being a jackass?" He doesn't respond but his breathing had slowed down and I see that his pupils were back to normal. "Good... I'm going to let you up..." I slowly let go of his wrists and stand easily, offering him a hand to help him up. He takes it and stands, letting go of my hand once he is. "Good." I put my right hand in my pocket and motion towards a chair with my left hand. "Wanna sit down?" He narrows his eyes at me but does sit down, eyes flitting around the room to look at everyone, and I nod a bit. "Awesome." 

"Do we get offered a seat?" The guy who was in the blue Iron Man suit asks and I look at him slightly.

"Did you guys just go through what he did? No. You want to sit down, have a fucking seat." I grab a chair from the kitchen, setting it next to Jay's chair, and take my weapons back from Gamora and Kraglin. "Thanks." I attach them where they go and sit in the chair, resting my left ankle on my right knee. My music was still playing and I tap my leg in time with one of the more... One of the songs depicting suicide in them.

"Damn. That's depressing." Tony looks at me and I shrug one shoulder. "When did you make this playlist?"

"I got the cassette when I was ten. I wrote up the songs I wanted when I was nine or ten."

"Damn. You've got issues," Blue Iron Man says and I scoff, rolling my eyes.

"Ya think? She tried ta throw 'erself out 'a an airlock when we picked 'er up," Kraglin scoffs and looks at me. "Tha's when ya started callin' yerself a Ravager, afta we toldcha wha' our flames was fer."

"You talk weird," Spider-Man says and I glare at him. "What? He does."

"He's too far away for me to hit him in the head." Tony does it for me and he rubs his head.

"Ow!"

"Don't say stupid shit," I say simply and look over at Jay to see him looking around the room warily. "Hey..." He looks at me and I smile gently. "It's alright... Nothing's gonna happen... If something does happen, we'll take care of it... Relax, alright?" He nods a bit and I hand him his jacket that I had worn under my heavy one because I fucking could. He pulls it on and settles back into the chair, relaxing a bit at being covered.

"Dad." Dad looks at me and I motion toward a blanket near him. He tosses it to me and I hand it to Jay, who covers his lower half with it.

"So, you're from Earth too?" Stark asks Dad and I watch the interaction.

"I'm from Missouri."

"That's on Earth, dipshit." I roll my eyes and get up, going to the kitchen to make something to eat.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves instead of insulting each other?" Gamora suggests and no one responds.

"Great idea, Gamora! Go for it!" I carefully call from the kitchen and make me and Jay sandwiches, grabbing chips too. They all introduce themselves and we were getting to the Avengers when I come back out.

"You gonna introduce yourself?" Tony raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug one shoulder, handing Jay his plate of food.

"That depends, Tony, you gonna introduce yourself?"

"You already seem to know who I am, why would I need to?"

"For everyone else in the room. And it's easy to know your name and face when they're on as many magazines as yours are. Plus, the news stations here never had anything interesting to cover so we got news from New York more than we did anywhere else so people would tune into it. Introduce yourselves then I'll think about introducing myself." I sit in my chair and eat my sandwich.

"Alright. I'm Tony Stark and Iron Man. This kid is Spider-Man, better known as Peter Parker. Cap here is Steve Rogers. Everyone already knows Thor and Loki." Peter waves and the other three kinda nod before Steve decides to take over.

"This is Bucky." He motions to the guy with the metal arm and I look at him, eating a chip. Dad comes over and tries to take one. I bite at his hand and he snatches it away, kinda glaring at me. Cap doesn't know how to react to that and decides to just continue introducing the rest of the group.

"This is Ant-Man, better known as Scott Lang. This is Wanda and Vision." He motions to the guy who suddenly appeared from the carpet and the other two people that just watched me earlier. 

"I'm Hawkeye, also known as Clint Barton," The guy with the bow says and he looks at Black Widow.

"I'm Black Widow or Natasha Romanoff."

"I'm James Rhode or War Machine," Blue Iron Man says and he looks at the guy with metal wings.

"I'm Falcon or Sam Wilson."

"And I'm Bruce Banner, otherwise known as the Hulk. And you are?" They all look at me and I take a drink of the water on the floor by my feet.

"Rogue. Welcome to the yearly Ravager Christmas party." The crews had come in at some point and they nod a bit.

"Whose kids are these?" James asks and I notice the younger kids on my crew over by the mechanical suits.

"Ala, Sol, Sta, Ra, and Kin." They turn to look at me and I nod my head away from the suits. They move away from them, going over to Cal and Eve, and I nod slightly.

"Yours?" Steve raises an eyebrow and I look at him.

"Part of my crew. They're on the technical and weapons teams. They like looking at stuff like that." I look at Peter and he was still in his costume. "Cal, Eve."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Would you be able to adjust some clothes for Peter, Steve, and anyone else that wants them so they can get out of those damned costumes?"

"Of course, Captain." Eve runs upstairs and gets some clothes while Cal leads the two of them upstairs. Scott, Clint, Sam, and Bruce follow and Dad tries to steal another chip.

"Dad, go get some from the kitchen." I kick him in the leg and he goes to do that, huffing a bit. "Giant child... I swear..." I eat a chip and notice Jay was guarding his plate as he ate. "If anyone tries to steal your food, they'll come back with a nub instead of a hand," I whisper to him and he nods a bit, relaxing.

"Thanks..." He whispers back and I just eat a chip from my plate.

"No problem, Alienboy... Can't have you getting too thin... I'm the one that crawls in the vents, you're the one that makes sure I don't get blasted out of the realm of the living." He smiles a bit and I count it as a win. Yondu scoffs and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yer an idiot."

"Looks like that's another thing I got from Dad." Yondu grabs a chair and straddles it backward next to me, holding a photo album in his hand before he opens it to the one of me as a baby.

"Tha' the one Krags was talkin' 'bout?" I nod and he looks at it. "Damn, girl. Ya was a tiny thing. Even afta ya got big." Dad comes behind us and had a bowl of chips, looking at the picture. "Boy. Git outta m'ear chompin' on them things."

"Fine, sorry." He moves and just plops down on the floor by me and Yondu.

"Damn, Dad."

"What?"

"You gonna be able to get up without help?" He rolls his eyes and elbows me in the leg.

"Shut up, Rogue. I'm still young enough to kick your ass."

"Yeah, as if." I scoff and put a chip on his head. He reaches a hand up and crushes it in his hair.

"Jackass."

"Learned it from you." I nudge his side with my boot and he rolls his eyes, brushing the chip crumbs out of his hair. "Oh, hand me my Walkman, wouldja?" He grabs it and hands it to me. "Thanks." I hold it for a couple of moments before handing it back to him and he looks at me. "Merry Christmas. Since your asshole biological father wrecked yours."

"Rogue, I can't take yours." He tries to give it back and I push it toward him, feeling awkward as he keeps trying to give it back while I keep trying to give it to him.

"I have all of my music on the CD's and some other stuff to listen to it... Take the damned thing, already!" He does and looks at it. "The music's from your grandfather." He slips the headphones on and presses play. "Gods, did you have to raise him to be so damned stubborn?" I hiss at Yondu and he just cackles.

After a little while, Dad pushes the headphones around his neck and looks at the Walkman. "Thanks..."

"Yup."

"Rocket's probably gonna kill you for giving me a copy of my old music."

"I'd like to see him try."

"He's pointing a blaster at your back right now," Martinex tells me and I feel Rocket push a blaster into my back.

"Hm. That's cool. Hey, do me a favor Rocket, move that up and push it in here. That spot is killing me." He scoffs and I feel the blaster move before I hear him put it up. "I was being serious, but OK." Yondu hits me in the head and I chuckle, smiling.

"Yer an idiot. Tha's somethin' else ya got from yer Daddy."

"Hey!" Dad glares at Yondu, kinda offended, and I chuckle, finishing my food before I try to balance the plate on Dad's head. "Seriously?"

"Sh! I've almost got it balanced!" He rolls his eyes and I let go of the plate once it's balanced. "HA!" I smile when it stays on and he tilts his head so it falls into his waiting hands. "Dude! Lame!" I hit him in the head and he flips me off as he stands, taking the plate to the sink. Yondu tucks his damned holopad back in his jacket and I look at him.

"Wha'? Ah didn't do nothin'." He smirks and I roll my eyes.

Suddenly, Mantis is pulling me to my feet at a slow song and I let her, chuckling a bit. "Yes, Mantis?"

"Dance with me!"

"Alright. Why not? Nothing better to do..." I bow to her and she giggles as she curtsies. She takes my offered hand and I rest my hand on her hip, dancing her around the room and other Ravagers easily.

I end the dance by spinning her around and she giggles before I absentmindedly kiss her hand gently. "I always enjoy dancing with you, Rogue! Thank you!" She hugs me around the neck and I wrap my arms around her waist, patting her back gently.

"No problem." We let each other go and she goes back to Drax.

"You've got moves, Captain!" Cal whistles and I roll my eyes as the ones that went with her and Eve come down with them.

"I'm a Ravager, not a savage. Of course, I've got moves." I scoff and go to sit back down but Sol was in my way. "Yes, Sol?"

"Can you teach me and Sta how to dance?"

"Dude, it's easy. You listen to the music and let it flow through you. Once you've got it in your soul, let it loose!" I time that with a seamless spin in time with the perfect moment for a spin and give them slight jazz hands. "Tah-dah!" They try to copy the spin and fall on their asses, making me chuckle.

"How'd you do that?" Sta kinda pouts and I show her, putting my toes on my right foot behind my left foot before I spin. "That looks hard..."

"Nah. Super easy. Sparkles, turn it up." Martinex turns the music up and I tap my heel in time with the beat a bit. "See, you just gotta listen to the music, lose yourself in it. I think that learning to dance will help you learn to fight, but Yondu says that that's stupid. Despite the fact they taught me how to dance before they taught me how to fight..." I mutter under my breath and see Dad leaning in the doorway to the kitchen, smirking a bit.

"He's bound to be better at teaching than I am. He's been dancing for a lot longer than I have. And not just because he's old."

"What does that make everyone else?" Peter scoffs and I look at him. 

"That's a good question. One that I'm not going to answer right now because I have no clue about it." I shrug one shoulder and sit back down in my chair while Dad teaches everyone else how to dance, Mantis giggling the whole time while Groot dances on Drax's head.


	25. Chapter 25

I was fiddling with something from my belt loop and Rocket and Nebula was guiding me on what best to do, music still playing.

A guy suddenly appears in my living room and I press a button on the thing I was working on as I stand. It floats in the air for a moment and a huge blaster falls into my waiting hands. "Yes! Can't believe that actually worked..." I point it at the guy and he looks at me, surprised. "Now, who the Hell are you? And you better answer in three seconds or else I'm going to use my... Reach of Desecration on you."

"You're what?"

"See this big gun?"

"Yes."

"This is my Reach of Desecration. Which will be used on you in two seconds. Who are you?"

"I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. And you?"

"Damn... I really wanted to see how much of a boom it would make..." I press a button on the side and it floats in the air for a second before the disk falls into my hands. "Rogue. Welcome to my cabin. Can you do anything about that wall?" I point at the huge hole still in the wall and he looks at it.

"I guess...?" He points a hand toward it and spins the other one while a green light appears around his wrist.

The hole slowly fixes itself and I nod. "Huh... Dope." I sit back down and go back to fiddling with the disk, making minor adjustments now.

"What type of name is Reach of Desecration?"

"It was the first thing that popped into my head, Gamora." I look up slightly and see Doctor Strange looking between us. "Oh, right. You don't understand them. Well... Krags?"

Kraglin suddenly grabs Doctor Strange and injects him with the translator chip. Someone throws Kraglin and vines come from seemingly nowhere to catch him after I look at him. "Um... What the fuck just happened?"

"Can you make them leave?" Doc asks and I look at them. "Just try!"

"Jeez! Pushy..." I look at the vines and flick my fingers at them. "Bye, Felicia?" They slowly disappear and lower Kraglin to the floor. "Did... Did I... Did I just use a meme to make vines disappear?"

"I knew it!" Doc was kinda laughing and they look between Yondu and Kraglin. "I told you it couldn't have been from Ego or Quill!" They look at me and I was still trying to wrap my mind around what just happened. "You, Rogue, are a Celestial."

"A what now?"

"Ego level being."

"Why?! I don't want to be like that dickwad!"

"It more than likely came from your mother."

"Doc... Buddy... My old friendly doctor... What the fuck are you talking about?!" They just toss me a holopad and I catch it.

"Look through that. It has everything I was able to gather about your mother, your birth, and the accident that killed her." I turn on the holograph function and set it on the table, swiping through a few pictures.

I get to pictures of the accident and look at them in shock. "That car... It's destroyed... How... How am I alive?" I swipe up another picture next to it and read from it quietly.

"'Car accident. Two fatalities. Two females. One aged twenty-six, one aged three. Twenty-six dead on the scene. Three dead on arrival at the hospital.'" I look through it more and see a note at the bottom. "'The three-year-old woke up in the morgue and screamed at her mother's corpse to wake up. The girl had somehow been revived.'" I rub my face slightly and run my hand over my hair, scratching the back of my neck slightly.

"So... My grandparents aren't my grandparents... Mom pulled a Superman and they adopted her... Keiko was adopted from Japan when she was three... Dad came to Terra... They hooked up... I was born in my old room... Somehow, I got her celestial powers... Skrulls played crash 'em up derby with Mom's car... She died and I... What? Died and came back to life at the hospital?"

"No, not technically. Your heart stopped, yeah. But you didn't die. Your celestial powers kept you alive."

"So... If I hadn't have been born or if I hadn't have gotten Mom's powers, she would still be alive and I'd be the one dead from the car accident?" Doc nods and I nod slowly, slowly wrapping my head around this.

"Look on the bright side, kid. Jay won't have to watch you die," Fang says and we all look at him. "What? The same thing happened with his mom." He shrugs and I rub my temples slightly.

"Gods... I need a drink..." Tex opens his mouth and I growl loudly, making him shut it with an audible click. "OK, Doc... I've got a question, then... I have the powers that will heal me faster, right?" They nod and I nod back. "Then, how have all of my other pregnancies been so unlucky?"

"They can only work to keep you alive, not two. I'm surprised you got this far along, honestly..."

"So... You're telling me... Jay and I managed to get lucky enough to become full celestials... But, even with that... I can't manage to keep a pregnancy because the powers are too weak to keep us both alive?"

"That's my guess, yeah..." I nod and fold my hands on top of my head, not saying anything now as I process.

"Rogue?" I look at Dad and raise an eyebrow. "You alright?" I nod and he looks at me intently.

"Processing..." I make a little circle with my fingers next to my temple and he nods a bit. It was silent, the music having been turned off, and I motion at it. "Music... The silence... It's deafening..." Rocket plays it and I rub my temples slightly, trying to process all of this quickly.

I suddenly stand and leave the room then the cabin after grabbing a blanket, my coat, and scarf, sitting on the porch steps after laying the blanket down. I sit out there for a while and just stare off into space.

I go back inside after an hour and into the living room, standing in the doorway into the living room and kitchen. "Tex."

"Yes, Cap'n?"

"Find a way to..." I have to pause and swallow tears back. "Find a way to end it."

"End what, Cap'n?"

"Don't play stupid. You know what I'm talking about."

"Cap'n... You aren't in a good mindset for this..."

"Tex! Find a way to end the damned pregnancy or I'll find a way to end you ever having kids!" I snarl and he just nods. "Be quick about it." I go upstairs and take my coat and scarf off, tossing them on the desk of the master bedroom. I lock the door and sit on the bed, head in my hands. I move to lay on my left side after a minute and try to count Little Bets' movements.

When Tex comes in after picking the lock, I was barely keeping from crying and I sit up. "Congratulations, Tex..."

"For what, Cap'n?" He comes over and sits on the desk chair near the bed.

"I don't think you'll have to end it... It's already ended itself..." I swallow around the lump in my throat and lay down when he tells me to. He checks me over and checks to see if Little Bets was moving or if their heart was beating.

After a few minutes, he looks sad and starts to prep me for something. "We have to remove the baby, Cap'n... How do you want to do that?"

"Whichever is fastest..." He nods and gives me some pain killers.

"I'll be as fast as possible, Cap'n..." I nod and he starts to get me ready for the surgery. I block everything out and don't pay attention to any of it.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I finally start paying attention again, Tex has me stitched and bandaged up and is holding a little bundle. "Do you want to hold her, Cap'n?" I shake my head quickly and turn away from him, not able to hold the tears back anymore.

"Get out... Tell Jay he's acting Captain... And I don't want any visitors... Take... Take Little Bets with you... Jay can figure out what to do with her... I... I can't..."

"The baby?" I nod and hear him leave, shutting the door. I grab a pillow and use it to muffle my cries.

\----------

"Jay." Jay looks up at Tex's voice and sees him holding a tiny little bundle.

"Is that..." He nods and Jay goes over, taking it. "What happened?"

"The baby died before I was able to do anything... Cap'n wants you to know, you're acting Cap'n for the time being... And that she doesn't want any visitors..." He nods a bit and holds the baby for a little bit. "She also wants you to deal with what will happen to Little Bets... The baby..." Tex explains in a whisper and the Ogords come over.

"Alright..." He nods and swallows a bit. "Um... Find... Find something to put her in for now... Once we're back in the stars, she'll be one with them..." Tex nods and goes to find something for Little Bets to lay in after Jay gives her to him. "No one kill anyone else..." He goes upstairs and knocks on the door. "Rogue?" He slowly opens it and shuts it quickly when vines are coming at his face.

"Rogue... Come on..." He calls softly through the door and tries to open it again. Vines fly for him again and he shuts the door on them. "Alright... I'll leave you be..." He goes back downstairs and runs a hand through his hair.

"Did you get in?" Dad asks and he shakes his head.

"She's using vines to keep me out. Where are they even coming from?" He shrugs and Jay rubs his face slightly.

\-----------

I go over to the door and lock it before grabbing my coat and scarf. I put them on and climb out the window, making the tree branches extend toward me. I climb down the tree and just walk to the field where the ships are.

Once there, I get onto my ship and go to Cal and Eve's workspace, having a plan to make Christmas feel happy again. And so I can force myself to be fine. I carefully construct an outfit that resembled Mrs. Claus and Santa Claus' outfits. Dad had told the kids all about Santa and what would happen on Christmas Eve. I send Krugarr a message to send Kraglin through a portal onto my ship, the designer space.

After a few minutes, Kraglin falls to the floor and I look at him. "Hi..." I turn and grab the outfits, handing the Santa Clause outfit to him.

"Wha' the Hell, kid?" He looks at it then at me and I kinda shrug, grabbing the Mrs. Claus outfit. "Ya a'ight?" I shrug again and go to get changed into it.

"Get changed... Or have Krugarr send Gramps here... He'd work too..." I close the curtain and get changed, hearing Kraglin laugh.

When I come from behind the curtain, Yondu is just falling through a portal and he cusses a lot. "Hey, Gramps..." He looks at me as he stands and raises an eyebrow at my outfit. "I can kind of make clothes... It's just easier to act like I suck because no one asks for my help when they think I suck..." I explain half-heartedly and he just nods a bit.

"Kay... Wha's tha' gotta do with me?" Kraglin hands him the outfit and he looks at it then at me. "Ain't happenin', girl."

"Gramps... Please? I need this... I need to be able to pretend that I'm fine when I just want to curl up in a hole and never come out... I need to be able to push this down deep where it ain't gonna come up until after Little Bets is taken care of... Until I'm back in the stars where I belong instead of on Terra... The kids have been asking about Santa and Mrs. Claus ever since Dad told them about them... And Groot would like it too... Help me out with it... Please, Gramps..."

"No."

"I will buy you every single figurine you want from any store on Terra and I will give you seven billion units."

"Deal." He smirks at me and goes to get changed.

"Ya got them units?" Kraglin whispers to me and I just shrug quickly before Yondu comes back out.

"Wha's he say?"

"'Ho Ho Ho' in a jolly voice," I explain and Yondu scoffs, rolling his eyes.

"Ah can give ya wha' Ah give ya. But it ain't gonna be jolly."

"Not surprised..." I roll my eyes a bit and look at my outfit in the mirror slightly, eyes roaming down my body until I get to my torso which is when I look away from the mirror.

"Ya a'ight?" I just nod a bit and they look at me.

"Let's just go..." I lead the way out of the workspace and back toward the cabin.

"Ya gonna be warm 'nough with tha'?"

"Yeah... I put some fur on the inside... I do have some brain cells, y'know?" I walk through the woods with them and Kraglin goes inside as I hand Yondu a white beard.

"Wha's this?"

"A beard... Santa has one..."

"Yer lucky K sent them other Cap'n's an' crew ta they ships," He growls and puts it on. "Ah will kill ya if tha' Rat gits video or pictures."

"OK." Kraglin looks through the window to look at us and I give him a small thumbs-up before we go up the steps of the porch. "Did he also send your crew back to your ship other than Kraglin's girl?" He nods and I nod back as the door gets flung open.

"Santa!" Sol and Sta run out and hug Yondu around his legs. Yondu walks in with a bit of difficulty and I follow, painting a smile on my face easily. "Cool! Mrs. Claus!" Sta moves to hug my leg and I lean down to gently pat her head.

Rocket was cackling and Groot was sitting on the table in awe. "I am Groot!" Rocket cackles more and nods.

"Yeah... Yeah, that's the Claus's!" He howls with laughter and Yondu kinda glares at me as he sits down in a chair. Sol looks at him and I smile a bit. "Gods... Isn't Mrs. Claus a little young for you, Santa?" I go over to Rocket and lean down to be next to his ear.

"Yondu's doing this for the kids and Groot. Be nice," I hiss and he just snickers.

"You got it, Mrs. Claus." He winks at me and I roll my eyes, standing straight. The kids had made a circle around Yondu, at Pops' insistence, to talk to him and Groot was sitting on Bon's head. They were each asking for units and then Sol and Sta were up. The other Captains in our dysfunctional family were still there and Aleta was cackling softly. The Avengers were still there too and a few of them were cackling too.

"Wha'cha two want?" Yondu asks Sol and Sta, blushing purple behind the beard, and they look at each other.

"For our Captain to be happy and be able to have a baby," They say together and the room goes silent. "She's a great Captain and deserves to be happy with Jay and a baby of their own." I feel most of the eyes in the room on me and swallow past the lump in my throat, deciding to change the subject forcefully.

"Why don't we make Christmas cookies?!" I clap my gloved hands and the kids look at me, smiling brightly at the idea of that.

"You know how to do that?" Visi looks at me and I nod. "Cool! Why?"

"Well, Santa doesn't like to share the sleigh because he's a controlling person that needs to have everything go his own way so I have to stay behind and take care of the elves. We make cookies, drink hot chocolate, and have a lot of fun in the snow. Go on. I'll meet you there." They go into the kitchen and I run my hands down my face. "Why do children have to be... Like that? Gods..." I mutter under my breath and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"You alright, Rogue?"

"Of course I am, Spidey! Cuz I am always perfectly fine! It's been that way for years!" I smile at him and head toward the kitchen. "Time to fake it 'till I make it happen... Smile cuz if I don't I'm gonna cry..." I mutter under my breath and smile at the kids. "Ready to make some Christmas cookies?" They nod, cheering, and I show them what to do, helping.

Someone throws flour and I manage to a fake laugh that sounds real, sprinkling some flour in all of their hair. They get in a flour fight and I put the cookies that were made in the oven to bake, setting a timer for ten minutes. "Mrs. Claus!" I turn and get a face full of flour. I laugh the real-sounding laugh and smile at them. They all laugh and I smile, wiping the flour off of me.

Jay comes into the doorway and looks at me, covered in flour and a fake smile plastered on my face that he can see through easily, along with anyone else who knew me well. The kids continue the flour fight and I look at Jay, giving him a tiny smile that was almost real. He smiles back a tiny bit and we each notice that the other was barely holding it together.

"Mrs. Claus, are you alright? You're crying..." Bon looks at me and I wipe at my face quickly, having not realized.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm alright. Um... Why don't you guys... Go get your coats on and Cal and Eve will take you outside to play in the snow?" They run off to do that and I rub my face a bit.

Cal and Eve take the kids into the backyard and I take most of the outfit off once they're gone. "Get me a change of clothes..." Jay nods and does that while I lean against the counter, waiting.

He tosses them to me and I get changed in the bathroom in the basement. I lean on the sink when I'm changed and breathe slowly, trying to keep control of my emotions. I leave the bathroom after a few minutes and just stand in the little rest area that Tex had put together from pieces of furniture stored down here.

I suddenly grab a stool and throw it at the wall. It breaks into pieces and I just destroy the area, emotions all over the place.

When the room is destroyed, I kinda look around and take a deep breath before I go back upstairs.

"Rogue, you OK?" Jay asks and I nod. "Really? You're perfectly fine?"

"Always have been. Wouldn't be me if I weren't, would I?" He glares at me and I look at him. "What the Hell is that look for?"

"I'm tired of you always fucking lying about how you feel. I swear to all the Gods if you're about to say that you are fine or anything similar to that, I'll stab you." He comes over to me and gently grabs my face. "Rogue... We've known each other for so many annual cycles... I know that you aren't OK... If I didn't, I'd be a shitty First Mate and an even shittier husband... Just talk to me, sweet girl... Please..." He says softly and I kinda lean into his touch. "I know that we lie a lot, but stop lying about how you're doing... Please... I want to help you through this... And not just at night when you can't hide it anymore..."

I lean forward and rest my forehead against his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me and I do the same after a moment. "I... I'm not OK... I'm not even close to being OK..." I whisper and he holds me tightly.

"And it's alright that you aren't... I'm not asking you to be miraculously alright after that... It's the fourth time... I don't expect you to be alright after four lost kids, Rogue... Doc isn't sure why they happen... If you want to have kids, I'm positive that it will happen... We just have to do what you normally do... Minus drinking alcohol..." He holds my head close to his shoulder and I was crying silently, just listening to his voice.

When I calm down, I pull away a bit to wipe at my face and he hands me a rag, which I take to clean my face off. "So... You told Captain Udonta you'd give him seven billion units?" Jay was smirking a bit and I nod. "You do realize we don't have that many units, right?" I nod again and he chuckles. "What are you gonna tell him when he asks about it?"

"He might forget about it...? He is getting up there in age..." He snorts and looks at me when I stop wiping at my face.

"Feel better?" I smile at him a bit and nod.

"Yeah... Thanks..." He smiles and kisses my forehead, making me smile a bit more.

"Anything for my Captain," He murmurs and gently runs a hand over my head, smoothing my fast-growing hair back a bit. "Your hair grows freakishly fast." I snort a bit and he chuckles.

"Tell me about it. It annoys the Hell out of me." I smile at him and he smiles back. "Well... Time to mingle and pray to all the Gods that Gramps doesn't ask about the units..." He chuckles and leads the way back into the living room while I follow.

"So, girl..." Yondu had gotten changed at some point too and smirks at me. "Them units?" Jay smirks and braces his hands on the back of a chair, watching to see how I respond.

"Um... What units?" Jay snorts and coughs to cover it after a glare from Yondu, which is then directed at me. "Kidding! Heh... Funny story... Um..."

"Wha'?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I scratch the side of my neck a bit.

"I don't actually have seven billion units... Heh..." I chuckle nervously and he looks at me, not saying anything. "I'm just gonna..." I point over my back with my thumb and start to walk back through the door to the kitchen.

"No, ya don't," Kraglin catches me and pushes me toward Yondu.

"Or not..." Yondu looks pissed and my brain works overtime to figure out a way to come out of this alive. "In my defense... You're the one who taught me to lie to get what I want, so... This is kinda your fault."

"Wha'cha say?" He growls and I backtrack quickly.

"That came out wrong. What I meant to say was... Um..." I glance at Jay and he was laughing silently. "It was Jay's idea." He freezes and kinda glares at me. "All his idea. Everything. Yup. Totally the truth."

"Girl. Yer a shit liar."

"Yeah... Um... Give me a second..." I tap on my wrist com and freeze before I click that last thing. "Know what? That's a terrible idea, not gonna do that." I clear it and look at Yondu, who was still pissed. "What's gonna get me out of getting killed?"

"Ah ain't gonna kill ya."

"Oh thank Gods..." I mutter under my breath and relax slightly.

"Ah am gonna give ya... Wha'cha call tha', boy?" He looks at Dad and Dad smirks.

"A head start."

"Tha'."

"I don't like the sound of that... Why don't I like the sound of that?"

"Yer boy tol' me ya ain't got tha' many units, girl. Now, if ya can manage ta git ta tha' field yer ship is in 'fore Ah do, ya ain't gotta do nothin' ta pay me fer doin' tha'."

"OK... If not?"

"Ya git two lunar cycles ta pay me fer it." I let out a slow breath and look at Jay.

"We still have that mission of stealing from Xandar, right?" He nods and I nod back. "Dope. The payout from that would be enough for my cut to be..." I do the math and look at him again. "About ten billion units, right?" He thinks and nods after a few moments.

"About, yeah."

"Dope. If this doesn't work, you'll get your units that way. Once we're back in the stars," I tell Yondu and he nods, looking at me. "Ravager rules?" He nods and Jay tosses me my coat. I catch it and pull it on. "How much of a head start do I get?"

"Five." He smirks and I bolt, grabbing my scarf on my way out. "Four." I shut the door behind me to make more work for Yondu and take off through the trees, wrapping the scarf tightly around my nose and mouth to keep the cold air out.

"Ah, shit!" I slide on ice and fall, landing on my ass. "Fucking shitty ass Terra!" I growl and get back to my feet, running still.

By the time I get to my ship, I was panting and put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. "Fuck..." I stand straight and see Yondu standing there with a shit-eating grin, Krugarr, and Kraglin next to him.

_"Are you alright, Rogue?"_ Krugarr looks at me and I nod, panting still. _"Are you sure?"_ I pull my scarf down to rest under my chin and wave my other hand at him a bit.

"Fine... Just... Ugh..." I put my hands on my knees again and slowly get control of my breathing. "Fuck..." I stand straight and kinda glare at Yondu. "OK, I know Ravager rules means there are no rules, but still... That's just cruel..." He cackles and comes over to pat my shoulder. "You're an asshole..." Krugarr opens a portal to the living room and we go through it.

"So... Did you win?" Peter smirks at me and I flip him off, still kinda panting. "You OK?"

"I'm on Terra. On Terra, I have shitty ass lungs that want to kill me all the damned time because of some fucking sciencey reasons." I take my coat and scarf off and put them on a hook, finally getting full control of my breathing. "In other words, I have asthma and it only affects me on Terra."

"Oh... How does that work?" Bruce asks and I shrug, sitting in the chair Jay still had his hands braced on the back of.

"The atmosphere of the other planets are different from here and people give a damn about their planets unlike here so the air is cleaner because there's less pollution." Jay leans down to look at me and I push at his forehead slightly with my finger. "What? I do know things."

"I'm glad. There needs to be more to you than just a pretty face." He chuckles and I roll my eyes.

"You're an idiot."

"And you love it." I roll my eyes again and he smirks.

"Oh shut up."

"I didn't even say anything!" He snickers and I flick him in the forehead. "What was that for?"

"You're being an idiot." He rolls his eyes and I smirk at him.

"Now you can shut up." He tosses a blanket over my head and I take it off to just wrap around myself.

"How'd you know I wanted a blanket?" I smirk and he rolls his eyes. I cross my legs in the chair and start to fiddle with my blaster to make the blast stronger.


	26. Chapter 26

"Kid, you need to find something better to do with your life than stealing from planets," Steve says and I look at him.

"I don't just steal. I lie, cheat, and kill sometimes too." I look at my blaster and stand, going out front where there were a bunch of trees.

"Now what are you doing?"

"Testing this out. The blast should be bigger and create more of a boom."

"You've been around Rocket for too long, Rogue," Dad mutters and I shrug one shoulder, wrapping my scarf around my face as I go down the porch steps. "The kids are still in the backyard."

"Good." I find a mostly dead tree and aim at it before firing the blaster.

The tree is obliterated and I cover my face with my arm as some splinters fly at me. "Dope." I wipe the splinters off of my sleeve and look around to see that the entire yard was covered in the remains of the tree. "Cool. A person will go splat. Amazing." I smirk a bit and head back in, putting my blaster back in its holster.

"Kid." I look at Rocket and he tosses me a blaster that resembled a gun in the basement. "Merry Whatever. Modeled it after that thing." He motions toward a long gun that had a narrow barrel and something on the top and the blaster looked the same, just in darker colors. "You look through that thing on the top and it helps you get a better shot from farther away."

"You made her a sniper? And you just have one lying around in your house?" Tony and Peter say together and look at me incredulously.

"My Mom had all these guns. I don't ask questions cuz I can't get any answers to them. I have a lot of guns in my basement." I look over my new blaster and notice it had a strap to go across my back. "Nice touch." Rocket nods and I look it over some more.

"That button on the left will charge it up, it's silent which is perfect," Rocket smirks and I nod my agreement. "The one on the right will make it into a disk, like your other one so that if you do a hit on some dumbass you can hide it like that and get the Hell out of there."

"Good."

"Plus it makes it so you can be part of the action as some backup for any missions," Jay points out and I shrug one shoulder as I continue to check out the blaster. 

"Will I have to kick the charge up again after each blast?" Rocket scoffs and shakes his head.

"Nah. You charge it up once, you got a good five, ten blasts before you gotta charge it up again." I nod and press the right button to make it the disk, attaching it to the right side of my belt.

"You were a very small child," Thor says and I look over to see him looking through the photo album with the other avengers. "What is this machine that you're in?"

"It's called an incubator. I had issues." He nods and continues to look through that while Loki looks through another, a holopad falling out. "Weird, that wasn't there last time..." I grab it and swipe through it, finding a bunch of pictures of Mom and Dad and some with them and Keiko. Then there's a video and Dad quickly snatches it, since he had been looking over my shoulder.

"You don't want to see that. Trust me." He deletes it and I raise an eyebrow at him before I just take the holopad back to continue looking through it. I find another video and play that one as I sit in a chair by what I assume is a desk.

_"Raziah, you helping your big sister play the piano?" The video shows a two or three-year-old me sitting on Keiko's lap in front of a piano and she smiles brightly at her._

_"Yeah, Momma! It fun!" Keiko pushes a few keys and she copies her._

_"Good job, Razi! You're gonna be great at this when you're bigger!" Keiko hugs younger me tightly and she hugs her back._ I look at the piano and pause the video to look at the desk, which was the piano.

"Out." They all look at me and I look at them. "Get. Out. Everyone. Go outside and do something with the kids. I don't care. Just get out and leave me alone for a while. NOW!" I bellow and most of them get out. Yondu, the Ogords, Martinex, and Kraglin don't leave and I look at them. "You guys are included in that, y'know." I run a hand through my hair and notice the piano bench next to the chair, leaning over slightly to open it.

"Wha'cha doin', kid?" I open the bench and pull out some music sheets. "Wha's tha'?"

"Sheet music." I run my fingers along the edge of the piano and lift the cover for it, showing off the piano keys that had the names of the keys on them for easy learning.

"You know how to read it?" I scoff and look at some of the sheet music.

"Yeah... No. I have no damned clue what these notes mean, Sparkles." I look at another page and see the names of the keys were in the place of musical notes. "I might be able to do this..." I shrug one shoulder and swipe my fingers across all the keys, playing each key as I do.

"So? You gonna try to play it? Or just stand there staring at the piano?"

"Screw you, Sparkles," I look at the keys that I'm supposed to play and can't seem to get my hand to move to play the stupid keys on the piano. I drop the sheet music back into the bench and slam it shut, running my hands harshly through my hair. I grab the holopad from on top of the piano to play the video and watch it, just needing to get something different on my mind right now.

_"Awe, my two sweet girls. You two always play so nicely together. Razi, you want something to play with your sister so you can both make music?"_

_"Yeah, Momma!" Younger me runs over to Mom and she hands her a present._

_"Happy birthday, baby girl." She runs a hand over her hair and she smiles brightly up at her and the camera. "Go ahead and open it." She tears the wrapping paper off and smiles brightly at a case. "Open the case, silly. There's something in there."_

_"Ke-Ke!" Keiko comes over and helps her open the case, showing off a little violin. "What that?"_

_"A violin. Do you wanna try playing it?" She nods and Mom sets the holopad down to help her hold it properly while the holopad still records the whole thing. "And you put your fingers here... Then you use this to play it." Mom hands her a bow and she takes it, sliding it slowly across the strings._

_"Cool! Ke-Ke! I like you now! I makes music!"_

_"I know! Great job, Razi!" Keiko picks her up and spins her around, making her giggle a lot. "Now we can play the music from that musical you like! What song do you want to try first?"_

_"'Lations!"_

_"Congratulations?"_

_"Yeah!"_

_"Congratulations it is!" Keiko has her stand next to the piano bench while she gets the music for it pulled up on her phone for them and they play the song. Younger me tries to sing the words but can't make them come out right and they end up laughing during most of it, but they have fun while Mom watches, holding the holopad again._

The video ends and I just go toward the stairs after I set the holopad on top of the piano. "Wha'cha doin' now, girl?"

"Fuck off, Udonta," I growl loudly and get in a storage space under the stairs, pulling out a little case that matches the one from the video. "Of course they didn't take it with them... Why would they?" I open the case and see that the little violin was broken inside of it, carefully running my fingers against it. I slam the case shut and throw it back into the area, slamming the door to it.

"You alright, Rogue?" Martinex asks carefully and I don't respond, hands in tight fists at my sides. "Rogue?" Someone rests a hand on my shoulder and I tense before doing something stupid.

Kraglin catches my arm as I bring it up to elbow him and just wraps his arms tightly around me, pinning my arms to my chest. "'Ey, yer a'ight, kid," He whispers to me and I swallow past a lump in my throat, calming down to where I won't hurt him. He slowly lets me go and I just leave, needing a few minutes to get control of myself.

I end up in the woods and then at Mom's grave, with no coat or scarf on. I kneel where her grave is and wipe the snow off of it a bit. "Hey, Momma... I found out my name from you... Raziah... And Kat's real name was Keiko... I'm sorry it took so long to find out our real names... It's just been hard to be in the house... Finding all of the memories... All of the things I forgot... It makes me feel terrible... I'm sorry I forgot about all of the stuff I've forgotten about... But, I was real small when you were alive... I'm not gonna change my new name... I like the name Rogue... I just want you to know that I know the names you gave me and my sister... And I'm sorry that she's not where she belongs next to you... I love you, Momma..."

I stand and dust my pants off before leaving, rubbing at my face slightly. I get close to the cabin and kinda lean against a tree, wanting to make sure I've got myself under control before I go back in there. I'm tempted to punch the tree but think better of it and just go inside after another minute, sighing softly.

"Ah oughta kill 'er!" Yondu growls and I nope myself right out of there.

"Well, here's your chance, blue. She's right there."

"Damn you, Sparkles. Two seconds from a clean getaway and you gotta go and fuck it up." I turn in time to duck Yondu's fist and barely manage to avoid the kick he aims at me. "Well, hello to you too, Gramps."

"Don'chu Gramps me, girl," He growls and swings at me again. I lean backward and have managed to back myself into a corner.

"Well, shit..." He grabs me by the collar and drags my face down to be level with his. "I'm guessing this is because I told you to fuck off and I almost elbowed Krags in the face? Controlling my emotions is not always my strong suit, Gramps." He lets go of my collar and I straighten up, muttering something about him being short.

"Wha'cha say, girl?" He growls and I look at him, feigning innocence. He punches me in the stomach and I grunt softly.

"Ow..." He kicks me in the shin and I glare at him. "Alright, you little fucking leprechaun!" I shove him away from me and his implant was flashing red. "Controlling my mouth doesn't seem to be a strong suit today either..." I mutter under my breath and Yondu whistles, his arrow flying toward my throat before stopping so that it was just barely pressing against it while I was backed up against the corner.

"Temper, temper," I smirk at him and he growls. "OK, I don't know why I said that... My head fucking hurts..." My vision starts to go black at the edges and I can tell I'm about to pass out. "Krags, get Doc and Tex. I think something is wrong with my head or my..." I drift off as I suddenly crumple to the floor and everything goes black.

\--------------

Kraglin sees me fall and runs outside. "Doc! Tex! Git in 'ere! Now!" Doc and Tex run inside and Kraglin shuts the door on everyone else, Jay included. "Stay out there!" He follows Doc and Tex back to the living room and they both move me onto the couch.

"Here." Tex hands Doc some equipment and uses what he kept to look me over. "Did she say anything before she passed out?"

"That she thought there was something wrong with her head or something else. Implant, maybe?" Martinex supplies and the Docs nod as they check me over.

"We need to move where her implant is so that it rests higher up on her skull. It won't be as easy to hide with her hair, not that she seems to care about that much lately," Doc explains to Tex and he nods. "We'll have to do it here so that it can get done quickly. Captains, I need you to leave. Now." They all leave without any more prompting and Doc looks at Tex. "Do you have any anesthesia?" He nods and injects some into her arm. "Good. Let's get this done quickly." He nods and they work on moving my implant.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I come too, I was lying on the couch and carefully sit up, groaning softly. "What happened?" Doc and Tex look at me and come over to check me over. "Dudes... Chill... What happened?"

"You passed out. Your implant was putting pressure on your spinal cord, which was messing with your nervous system, which in turn was messing with your brain," Doc explains and I look at him.

"Huh?"

"The way your implant was at the base of the skull, it was fucking with a bunch of stuff which made your brain and head all fucky," Tex explains and I nod a bit, able to understand him better right now.

"I see... You guys fix that?"

"Yes, Rogue. We had to move your implant further up your skull so it's more similar to how Captain Udonta's is situated on his head." Tex gives me a mirror and I look at my reflection, seeing the front of my implant closer to my forehead like Yondu's was. "It won't be as easy to hide with your hair, but it should still be able to. If you wanted to. If not, we could do something with your hair to make it stop growing or to be in a different style." I just give a soft noise of acknowledgment to them talking and they look at me. "Should we let Jay in?"

"Just stop talking for a minute," I hold a hand up and they shut up so I can think clearly. I carefully feel the implant and the back was now in the same place Yondu's was, but my headache was thankfully gone. "Let Jay in and Jay only. Then leave us alone for a few minutes." They nod and do as they're told.

Jay comes over to me and gently cups my cheek. "Hey... You alright?" I nod and he smiles at me a bit, looking at my implant and head. "What you gonna do about your hair?"

"No clue. Thoughts?"

"Well... You're always saying that you want to get tattoos."

"What's that got to do with this?"

"You could have them make it so it can't grow anymore and get tattoos on your head around your implant." He looks at me and I think about that. "It would look fucking dope, in my opinion." I chuckle softly and peck his lips. He pecks mine back and I smile.

"It'll finally give me a good reason to stop being such a pussy about getting tattoos." He laughs and I smile.

"Yeah, it will. Want me to tell the two of them that you decided what to do?" I nod and he goes to do that. "Want me to see if I can find you a hat until you have a chance to get tattoos?"

"That'd be great. Because if Drax says something, I might end up killing him." He nods and goes to tell the two of them before going to find a hat.

"You decided what to do?" I nod and they look at me.

"Make it so my hair can't grow anymore." They nod and they each do something to my scalp that won't allow hair to grow anymore.

Jay comes in when they're done and had a hat. "Here you go." He puts it on my head and I roll my eyes slightly. "Can't let the cold get at your brain cells, now can we?" I roll my eyes again and Doc and Tex leave. "Hey, Doc. Is she good to get tattoos around her implant?"

"Yes, she'll be able to get tattoos around it." They roll their eyes and leave the room with Tex, letting the others back in after a minute or two.

"What's with the hat?" Rocket asks and Groot glares at it.

"I am Groot!"

"Yes, I'm aware you hate hats. You've gotta deal with it, Twig. At least until I finish a plan. Then you'll never see me with a hat on again, OK?" He glares at me but nods and I nod back. "Good." I hear someone behind me and point my blaster at them suddenly, the way I'm holding it making it upside down. "Back up. And do not come up behind me again or there won't be a warning, I'll just blast you." I hear them back up and put my blaster back in its holster.

"I was not expecting that to be her response," Loki says and I just move to the chair from earlier so my back wasn't as open to anyone. "Relax. It's not like I'm going to kill you."

"Y'know, I'd be more inclined to believe you if you weren't Loki." He shapeshifts into Captain America and smirks.

"Want to have a rousing discussion about truth? Honor? Patriotism? God bless America!" Steve looked pissed and Thor pins Loki against a wall as he shifts back to himself, putting a hole in the wall.

"Dudes!" They look at me and raise their eyebrows. "Easy on the walls! Damn..."

"We are Gods. You know that. Right?"

"What's your fucking point? This is my house. And I have a lot of guns. _You_ know that. Right?" They don't respond at first and Thor lets Loki go.

"I apologize for your wall," Thor says and I nod a bit, just now noticing his hammer was on the coffee table.

"What the fuck, dude? Why is your hammer on the coffee table?"

"People wanted to try to lift it. So I put it there so they could try. Would you like to try?"

"Uh. No."

"Why not?" He looks shocked and I look at him.

"Dude, there's an entire thing about being 'worthy'," I do finger quotes as I say worthy and he looks offended. "And I'm nearly a hundred percent sure that I don't fit into that category. If it were a ballpark, I wouldn't be in the same city as the thing. I wouldn't even be in the same damn country. You guys have fun making fools of yourselves. I'm good." I grab a book from the small table next to my chair and start to read it while some of them start to try lifting the hammer.

"C'mon, Cap. Give it a shot, Mr. Goody Two Shoes."

"No thanks. I'll wait until we have to deal with Thanos to see if I can lift it."

"Thanos is dead," I say simply and all noise in the room stops while I turn a page in my book.

"What now?"

"Thanos is dead. He's been dead for about four to four and a half lunar cycles, or months," I explain simply and continue to read my book. "So... You have no more excuses as to waiting to see if you can lift that stupid hammer. Which I'm sure you'll be able to do." No one responds and I continue to read my book, not caring about this conversation anymore.

All of the Avengers talk Steve into trying to lift the hammer and he gives in with a condition. "After I do this, Rogue has to."

"Deal," Jay says for me and I lift my head to glare at him. "It'll be fine." He waves a hand at me and I put my finger in the top of the book, deciding to see if Steve can lift it.

He wraps his hand around the hammer and lifts it easily. "I knew it!" Thor laughs and Steve looked uncomfortable before he sets it down again. "Rogue! It is your turn!"

"I didn't even agree to do this," I mutter under my breath and stand, holding my book still with my finger in the top of it to mark my spot. I go over to the hammer and glare at Jay. "I hate you and this is stupid."

"Just try to pick the thing up." He rolls his eyes and I wrap my hand around the handle.

"Fine, but I'm not going to be able to pick the stupid thing..." I drift off as I lift it and blink, very confused. "What?"

"You are worthy!" Thor laughs and I was still confused. How in the Hell am I worthy of lifting the damned thing? "The good that you have done outweighs whatever bad you have done."

"Like freeing slaves from their slavers," Tony says and Steve nods, continuing the list.

"Giving kids a place to sleep and eat when they were forgotten by their family."

"Giving them funerals when they were killed and making sure you got justice for them," Peter says and I run my finger along the edges of the pages of my book, not sure how to respond to any of that. So, instead, I toss the hammer slightly and catch it in my hand, looking at it.

"Well... Cool... Here you go..." I toss it to Thor and he catches it, tossing it slightly. "I'm gonna go back to reading my book..." I sit back in my chair and go back to reading my book, legs pulled into the chair next to me with the book resting on my knee.

"Can I try lifting it?" Peter asks and I glance away from my book to see Thor handing the hammer to Peter. He takes it and holds it up, smiling a huge smile. "Cool!" I roll my eyes and go back to reading, ignoring it when the sciencey people start talking about science stuff. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Rogue!" I look up from my book, which I had gotten immersed in, and Jay was staring at me.

"What?!"

"Dude, we've been trying to get your attention for two minutes. What are you reading that's so interesting?" He snatches the book and looks at it. "What language is this in and what's it about?"

"It's in Xandarian and it's about stuff." Jay takes the book and looks at it then at me. "What? I'm allowed to read whatever the fuck I want to read." I snatch the book back and open it back to the page I was at.

"Not saying you can't. Just surprised." I close the book with a piece of paper sticking out as a bookmark and look at him, eyebrow raised. "I didn't expect you to be reading medical and science stuff, that's all."

"Yeah, well, shut up. What did you want?"

"We're low on food. Where did you hide the green paper?"

"The money?" He nods and I motion toward the closet. "Loose floorboard in there." He goes over to it and gets it out. "Have those guys go get some food. Just get some of the entire store." I motion toward the Avengers and they look annoyed. "I'm going to feed you before I kick you out. So go get some damned food," I say simply and they don't respond.

"Why do we have to go get it, though?"

"Are you Terran or do you look Terran?" They nod and I open my book again. "Do you speak English?"

"Yes."

"Then you're the perfect people to go get food. And you broke into my house. Consider it an apology. There's a truck in the garage that you can use. Have a nice trip." I go back to reading and they don't argue anymore, Peter, Steve, and Tony going to get groceries. "Oh, make sure you get stuff that has sugar and caffeine too."

"Yeah, no problem," Tony scoffs and goes to the garage with the other two.

By the time they get back, I had read the entire book and send some of the bigger crew members to help them out with bags while I put the book down, kinda rubbing at a crick in my neck. Jaz hands me a holopad and I take it, raising an eyebrow at him.

"New mission that got sent to me while we were looking for Jay." I look through it and see one part that would usually make it a no-go but the payout is good.

"Alright. I want a plan and team picked out by the next lunar cycle. Don't include me on the team." I hold the holopad out to him and Dad takes it. "Dad, you're pissing me off today."

"Oh, shut up." He looks through it and snorts. "You don't want to be included because people say it's haunted?" He starts to laugh and I take the holopad back, hitting him in the head as I hand it back to Jaz.

"I don't fuck with ghosts. It's bad juju, karma, mojo, luck, whatever you wanna call it. I don't fuck with ghosts. So, screw you." 

"You're scared of ghosts?" Clint scoffs and I glare at him.

"No. I just don't fuck with them. I like living and breathing. Know what? Fuck you, Clint." I go to help with groceries and let out a huff of breath. I put them away and leave out some stuff for supper.

"We spent what was left and got a lot of food," Peter tells me and I nod. "And I'm with you on the ghost thing. They carry a lot of bad karma." He helps me put the stuff up and I don't respond, not sure how to.

"Ghosts aren't real so you don't have to worry about it," Bruce says as he comes in and helps put the rest of the food up, mainly canned goods. "What's this for?"

"Dinner. Tony, do me a favor and get that recipe box in that cupboard?" He grabs it and hands it to me. I take it and look through them a bit, pulling one out. "Here we go. Here." I give it back to him and he puts it back while I look at the time. "Anyone hungry?"

"It's going on 2000(read twenty hundred), so yeah," Jay says from where he was leaning against the back door and everyone but him and I leave when the food's put up. "What are we eating tonight?"

"Well, you're helping since you're still in here," I tell him what to do and he does it without any arguments, sometimes asking what it was for which I answer.

When it's done, we serve it up and he whistles to let them know to come and get it. I sneak out onto the back porch to eat and he follows after everyone has food. "You OK?"

"Yeah. Just wanted to get out of there before it got completely bonkers," I chuckle softly and eat my food, kinda stargazing as I do. He sits next to me and eats himself, leaving us in comfortable silence. I set my fork down and gently grab his hand. He squeezes it and rubs my hand with his thumb. "Love you..."

"Love you too..." He leans down and gently bonks his head against mine, making me smile. We let go of each other's hands and eat the rest of our food. "So... What tattoos are you thinking about getting?"

"Probably gonna get Mom's name, Keiko's too, and the one Mom gave me somewhere. But I was thinking something like dragons for my head."

"Why dragons?"

"They're known for guarding treasure. My implant could be treasure two dragons are fighting over."

"That sounds cool."

"Right?" I smile and finish my food, just holding the bowl in my lap while I look at the stars. "So... What did you do with Little Bets?"

"We're gonna put her where she belongs... In the stars..." He gently grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Do you want kids, Rogue?" I squeeze his hand back and think.

"Maybe... We just have to see how it goes... They'd obviously get raised on the ship."

"Absolutely. That's non-negotiable."

"Glad we agree on that." I smile and he smiles back. "I think it'd be nice to have kids. Since both of us are full celestials, the kid would be too. So we won't have to worry about that, at least." He nods and carefully pulls me closer to his side, arm across the small of my back. "Very sneaky of you, alienboy," I scoff, rolling my eyes, and he smiles at me, blushing a little blue. "Let's go inside and drink." He nods and we go inside.

The Avengers were doing the dishes and Peter takes our dishes. "You cooked, we can clean up," He says and I give him a thumbs-up, looking in the cupboards.

"Damn. Don't have anymore Rhone here." I go into the living room and Krugarr motions toward the table that had bottles of alcohol from my quarters with glasses. "Perfect," I chuckle and take a couple of glasses, handing one to Jay.

"So... Any other stories?" I look at Pops and he notices. "They've been telling me stories of Peter growing up." I nod and sit in my chair, tucking my feet up with me, while Jay sits on the arm of it.

"Have they told you about his wedding?" Pops shakes his head and Dad looks at me, confused. "It would be a good story to tell and Gramps has videos." Yondu looks at me, eyebrow raised, and I shrug one shoulder as I take a drink. "You had that damned holopad of yours out most of the time."

He pulls out his holopad and pulls up a video, playing it. Dad and Gamora were dancing to someone singing _Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang_. "Who's singing that, anyway?" I shrug and drink my Rhone.

"Where were you during this dance, Rogue?" Pops asks and I shrug again.

"It was a while ago. I don't remember." The Avengers come in and take the drinks offered, Peter getting some bottled water before they sit.

"Why did you come from behind the DJ's area once the song was over?" I shrug again and the Avengers cough on their drinks while Loki and Thor nod slightly.

"Not bad." Mainframe hands him another glass and he takes it. "Thank you." He drinks it while Loki stands and was watching me.

"Sing the song," I kinda cough on my drink and look at Rocket.

"What? Why?"

"To prove it wasn't you that sang it."

"How about I don't do that? I was twelve and didn't have any units to buy them a gift. So, I threatened the DJ and he let me sing the song. Merry Christmas. Now you all know a secret that I've kept since that day." I finish my drink and Krugarr holds out a bottle of whiskey. "Ooh, yes please." I hold my glass out and he fills it for me. "'Preciate it." I sip on it and they all tell stories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any numbers(written like this 1900, 2000, 2100) will be military time.


	27. Chapter 27

Jay drinks the whiskey with me and is seriously a lightweight. "C'mon, Ro... Dance with me!" He was trying to pull me to my feet and I shake my head. "C'mon! Don' be such a pussy!"

"Excuse me?" I scoff and he smirks at me.

"Ya heard me!" He pulls me to my feet and I finish my drink, looking at him.

"OK... Firstly, I'm not a pussy. Secondly, have a seat." I push him into the chair I just stood up from and he kinda pouts at me. "I don't want to dance right now."

"Would you dance with Mantis?"

"Mantis is a whole other story because she isn't drunk and didn't call me a pussy. So, shut up and drink some water." I give him some bottled water and he drinks like he was told to. I notice that all of the kids had gone to bed and straddle a chair from the kitchen backward, sitting next to Jay.

A slow song starts as I refill my glass and take a sip, noticing Mantis watching me. "Yes, Mantis?" She jumps a bit and smiles shyly at me. "Would you like to dance?" She nods and I stand, going over to her. I offer her my hand with a slight bow and she takes it, standing. She gives a little curtsy and I lead her around the living room seamlessly with the song, not caring that I'm being watched, just caring that Mantis was having fun.

Once the song was over, she hugs me tightly and I hug her back. "Don't mess with the hat, Mantis," I whisper in her ear and she lets me go, smiling shyly at me. I kiss her hand and she goes to sit down.

"Well, that was interesting," Doc Strange says and I look at him. "I didn't expect a space pirate Captain to know how to dance."

"Hey! Rude! I have class!" I adjust my jacket slightly and he rolls his eyes.

"Will you dance with me, Captain?" Cal asks, batting her eyelashes at me, and I roll my eyes as she laughs. "What's with the hat, anyway?"

"I want to wear a hat. That's all you need to know." I sit back down and grab my drink, sipping on it.

"Where did you learn to dance?" Dad smirks proudly and I glance at him.

"Yondu and Kraglin started to teach me when they caught me dancing in the gym one day. After I threw my knife into the hall and pinned my other one to Yondu's throat. Then Dad taught me anything else," I lie easily and Dad smiles while I just continue to drink my whiskey.

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It's Christmas morning and I'm in the kitchen at 0500, getting coffee made for everyone because as soon as the sun rises everyone would be up because of Dad and the kids. I had my hat on and Groot comes into the kitchen, glaring at it. He had grown more to where he was about the size of Sol and Sta. "Hey, twig."

"I am Groot."

"Yeah, I know. You hate hats. You'll just have to deal with it for the rest of today and when you see me again, I won't be wearing a hat. Alright?" He glares but does nod and I nod back, sipping on my coffee. "You hungry?" He nods and I make some pancakes for him.

I hear creaking and turn to see him quickly make his arms go back to how they usually are. "Groot. Leave the hat be. I'm serious." I growl and he kinda squirms in his seat, nodding his understanding. I go back to making pancakes and plate a couple up, putting them in front of him with a fork while I put a bit of syrup on them. "Enjoy." He eats and I sit across from him to drink my coffee.

The Avengers come in at different times and I offer all of them some coffee, which most of them take advantage of. Peter gets an energy drink and drinks it fairly quickly. "Damn, kid. Breathe." I chuckle and finish my coffee, standing to make some more pancakes for them.

There's the pounding of feet and the kids come down, waking the other crew members with Dad. "Who the Hell gave him a noisemaker?" I mutter under my breath and grab a skillet, waiting for him to come in.

He comes in and I hit him over the head with the skillet. "Shut the fuck up!" He rubs his head, glaring at me, and I toss it in the sink. "It's too damn early for all that fucking noise. Sit down and shut up." He glares at me but does as he's told when I act like I'll grab the skillet again and I plate some pancakes. "Syrup's on the table with forks. Enjoy." He puts syrup on them and eats while I give the other people in the kitchen pancakes.

"Cap'n!" Sol and Sta run in and skid to a stop when I hold up a hand, waiting patiently for me to finish my second cup of coffee. I wave my hand and they come closer. "When can we open presents?"

"After everyone eats."

"When are we going to eat?"

"Sit down, shut up, and you'll be eating in about four minutes." They do as they're told and I make a lot more pancakes. Peter helps me plate them up and deposits them into the hands of anyone that comes in, directing them to the table for syrup and forks. I have to hit at least two people for trying to take my hat and they just take some food from Peter before leaving.

The kids were inhaling their food and I pinch the bridge of my nose with a sigh. "Chew your food. Or I'll have to hurt you to keep you from dying because you can't chew your fucking food." They slow down and no one chokes. "Good." I scratch my neck slightly and they finish before running off to the living room to open presents, which had their names written in Xandarian this year.

"We got presents too?" Peter asks in shock and I shrug slightly.

"It's from Santa!" Sol smiles brightly and I kinda roll my eyes as they open their gifts. Peter opens his present and looks at it, getting a new suit from Tony.

"Cool..." He checks it out and the other Avengers open whatever presents they got, I don't pay attention because I don't care. I get a protein bar and sit at the table, eating it while everyone opens their presents. I had gotten my crew and family OK gifts and lean back in my chair while they hang out in the living room.

Barkley comes in and hands me a present. "Merry Christmas, Rogue. I hope you enjoy the gift," He smirks and leaves. I carefully open it and feel my chest constrict at the baby clothes.

"Oh, you fucking asshole!" I bellow and slam my hands down on the table and a glass that was on it, ending up with shards in my hand. I leave the kitchen and ignore my bleeding hand to look for Barkley, the baby clothes clenched in my uninjured hand. "Where the Hell are you, Barkley? Don't be such a damned coward and face me, you asshole!" My eyes sweep the room and I see him trying to sneak out of the house.

I whistle sharply and the crowd parts as my arrow flies past them. He sees it and ducks out the door, slamming it shut behind him so my arrow gets stuck in the wood. I growl loudly and start to go toward the door, only to be stopped by Charlie. "Whoa, whoa! Calm down," He says and puts his hands on my shoulders. "What did he do?" I lift the clothes and shake them slightly.

"He gave me these," I snarl through grit teeth and he looks at them, eyes widening slightly. "I'm gonna fucking make him wish he was dead. Now move." He lets go of me and I go past him, following Barkley outside. I see him running through the trees and grab the disk of the sniper blaster. "I get to use this already, awesome." I press the button and my blaster appears. I charge it up and put it up on my shoulder, looking through the sights.

I aim at his leg and fire. He falls and drags himself back to his feet, dragging his leg with him. I aim for his other leg and fire. He falls and starts to drag himself now. I carefully aim and fire, blasting him in both of his hands. He stops moving and I go over to him.

I press the barrel to the back of his neck and he freezes. "How dare you? You knew what happened and you still pulled a stunt like that. How fucking dare you?" I bellow and turn off the charge to the blaster before slamming the bottom of it against his side. He cries out and I beat the crap out of him, using mainly kicks.

When I stop, I was panting very softly and he was curled up in a ball. I glare down at him and press the button on my blaster to turn it back into a disk, attaching it back to my belt loop before I crouch down. "Fuck you, Barkley. You're an asshole. I didn't do anything to deserve the way you've treated me. I'll send your lead medic here to fix you up and Stakar can choose what to do with you." I stand and go back to the cabin.

"Whoever is the lead medic of Barkley's crew, go fix him," I say simply and an Ildier leaves to fix him. The kids look at me and I motion for them to continue opening gifts. "Go back to whatever you were doing." I grab my arrow and put it back in its holster while they go back to opening their presents. "Tex, kitchen." I go to the kitchen and Tex follows. I sit in my chair and hold my hand out to Tex. 

He fixes it up and I watch him, no longer having the clothes. "Rogue?" I look up and see Martinex standing in the doorway. "Captain wanted me to tell you that once we're back in the stars, we'll be having the meeting for the next annual cycle within two days, but probably sooner. And that you won't be permitted to wear a hat during it."

"Got it, Sparkles. Thanks." He nods and leaves. Tex bandages my hand and I look at it. "Thanks, Tex." He nods and leaves me be. I lean back in my chair and close my eyes, breathing evenly to calm down fully again.

Jay comes in and sits next to me, not saying anything for a moment. "Hey, Rogue..." He says softly and gently grabs my good hand, squeezing it slightly. I squeeze it back and he rubs my hand with his thumb as I open my eyes. "The crews finished opening whatever gifts they got. It was mainly just the kids. The rest of them got some unit cards or a free bot at the Iron Lotus." I scoff and he smiles at me. "You ready to leave?"

"Yeah. I want to get off of this planet. I've already visited Mom, so no need to worry about that."

"Do you want to take the kids to visit her?" I look at him, raising an eyebrow, and he shrugs. "I thought it might be a good idea... Probably not, right?"

"Not really." He nods his agreement and I squeeze his hand a bit. "I get why you suggested it, though." I smile at him a bit and he smiles back. "Come on. Let's get the crew gathered and leave."

"Crew's ready to go. Sorry that you didn't get anything this year."

"I got to meet a new grandfather and got you back from the Kree. Those are some dope gifts." I wrap my arm around his shoulders and rest my forehead against his gently. "As long as you're near me, you'll be more than enough of a present." He chuckles and gently squeezes the back of my neck, pulling away.

"Gods. So sappy," He teases and I roll my eyes, standing. He stands too and heads out of the kitchen to gather the crew up to leave. I rub my face slightly and take the opportunity of being alone in the kitchen to have a can of soda before I have to leave.

"Seriously?" Dad scoffs and I flip him off, downing the soda.

"Screw you. I wanted a soda. Shut up." I deal with the can and pull my coat on before I wrap the scarf around my face. "I'll see you later, Dad." I pat his shoulder and he smiles, patting mine back.

"Hey, Rogue?" I look at him and he smiles. "Thanks... For lying to Pops... About me being a good Dad to you when you were younger... I know I wasn't the best... So... Thanks... It was a good present, along with your Walkman..." He hugs me and I return it awkwardly, patting his back gently. He lets me go after a moment and pats my shoulder again. "Merry Christmas." He smiles and I nod, smiling back.

"I'm gonna leave, now..." He nods and I leave, waving slightly to the rest of the crew. "Later." I head to my ship and board it, the _Winter_ docked in the hangar, while I send Nebula and Vin some design ideas for an upgraded implant.

"We ready to go, Captain?" I nod and Zaj pilots us off of Terra then through a jump where there weren't many planets around.

"Wait. Here..." Jay looks out the window then at me and I look at him. "Little Bets... She should be with the stars here... There are only stars around... It would be perfect..." He nods his agreement and we go to put her with the stars.

I gently run my hand over her little head and Jay stands next to me. "Goodbye, Little Bets..." Jay gently squeezes my shoulder and also says goodbye before we send her through the stardust maker, watching as the dust swirls outside of the ship with the stars.

"You alright, sweet girl?" I nod and he holds me close to his side. "Alright... Do you want to go get those tattoos now?" I nod again and he sends a message to Zaj to let her know. We start moving and I watch out the window, leaning into Jay's side slightly. "Let's go to controls, alright?" I nod and we go to controls as he drops his arm, but we still walk side by side.

We get to Contraxia and Zaj lands planetside next to another ship that I don't pay attention to. "All of you go celebrate or whatever you want to do. Just don't get in trouble and leave me and Jay alone for a while. Clear?" They nod and I grab a pouch of units for anyone who wants bots and one to pay for the tattoos. "Anyone want bots?" Some people come up and I give them more than enough for one. "Enjoy." The crew scurries off of the ship and I get off with Jay, going over to a tattoo parlor.

"Hello there!" A Shi'ar smiles at us and I look at him. "What tattoos can I give you today? You can choose from any of the ones on here and I will do them for you as soon as you choose." I nod and take the holopad he gives me, looking through it.

"These." I hand it back to him and he looks at the twin dragons I had managed to find, nodding.

"Looks nice. Where?" I motion at my head and he waves his hand at a chair. "Have a seat and I'll work on them." I sit and he comes over to get everything set up as I take off my hat. He looks at my head and raises an eyebrow. "How would you like the dragons to look with the implant?"

"Well, they're fighting over a treasure chest in the picture. Just replace the treasure with my implant." He nods and starts working after giving me some local anesthesia. I close my eyes and he gives me the tattoos while I grip onto the armrests of the chair. Jay gently pats my wrist and I just block out the pain by blocking out everything.

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When I stop blocking everything out, the Shi'ar was done with everything and I sit up slightly. "Any other tattoos tonight? And will you need to design them?" I nod and he hands me a holopad. "Draw them on here and I can do them." I nod again and write out 'Keiko' 'Solstice' and 'Raziah' to remember my family and my birth name. I hand it to him and he looks at them. "Where would you like them?"

"My chest." I take off my coat followed by my long sleeve shirt and that leaves me in a tank top, taking off my neck warmer thing. "Going like this..." I run my finger along the sides of my neck into my chest and across the middle of my chest. "This one," I point to 'Solstice' and run my finger along the right side of my throat down my chest. "Here. This one," I point to 'Raziah' and do the same on my left side. "There. And the last one in the middle, here," I run my finger along my collar bone and he nods. "Can you make them look nice?"

"I can do that." He gets started on doing that and starts with 'Keiko'. I breathe slowly and he does the three names while I have my eyes closed against the pain.

"There. Done." He smiles and I open my eyes to see him holding a mirror so I can see them. They all looked great and I tell him as much.

"Thanks. What do I owe you?" He leads me back over to the counter and I follow while Jay pockets a salve for the tattoos.

"Not much. A hundred units sound fair?"

"For five tattoos? Definitely." I grin at him and give him a hundred units, looking at Jay. "You want any?"

"Yeah. Just give me the pouch and I'll show you tonight." I chuckle and give him the pouch.

"Have fun." I debate about it for a short moment before pecking his cheek and he blushes a little blue. "See you back on the ship, Fletch."

"Whatever you say, Captain." He chuckles and I leave the parlor, bumping into somebody cuz I was pulling my clothes back on carefully.

"Oh, my bad, dude." I move around them and head back to my ship, not in the mood for drinking right now.

"Kid!" I turn and see Kraglin was who I bumped into seeing as how he was trying to catch up with me.

"Nope." I bolt and quickly board my ship, going to my quarters to chill for the rest of the night. I go to my bathroom and look in the mirror, turning my head from side to side to look at those two tattoos. They covered any space that wasn't already covered by my implant and it's exactly the way I wanted it, smiling. "Perfect..." I take off the shirt to look at the names and let my fingers float above them. 'Solstice' and 'Raziah' had the letters going down in a line instead of across like 'Keiko' was on my collarbone and it's perfect.

I jump slightly at pounding on my door and leave my bathroom to see who was at it. Kraglin was there and he looks straight at the camera. _"Kid lemme in,"_ He growls and I bite my lip a bit. I turn the lights down before opening the door and he comes in. "Wha's with the dark, Kid?" He turns the lights up and looks at me, not saying anything as I shut the door. I start to turn and he turns the lights back down, making insecurities claw their way out of their hole.

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly as I face Kraglin, turning the lights back up. "My implant needed to be moved and the way my hair would grow would make me look like an idiot. So, I had Doc and Tex make it so my hair wouldn't grow anymore and got tattoos tonight. The way you reacted was a dick move and I want you to leave. Now." He doesn't respond but does leave and I sit in my chair after the door is locked so only Jay can get in without me opening it.

I get a transmission from Stakar and take a deep breath to deal with the damned insecurities before answering it. "Stakar." I give him the Ravager Salute and bow my head slightly, looking up to see him recovering from his shock quickly.

_"Rogue. We'll be meeting for the next annual cycle tomorrow at 0800. No hats."_

"No need to worry about that. I won't be wearing one ever again." He nods and I nod back. "Anything else?"

_"No, that's all. Rogue."_ I pause in ending the transmission and look at him. _"Nice tattoos. That Shi'ar, Trol, did a good job with them."_ I smile a bit and nod.

"Yeah, he did. Thank you." He nods and ends the transmission. I smile and that compliment helped a lot in dealing with the insecurities.

Jay comes in and shows me the tattoo he got. "A ring on a chain?" He nods and I smile.

"The Kree took my ring... So, I got one that couldn't be taken away so easily." He pecks my lips and I kiss him back. "So, any news on the meeting?"

"Yeah. It's tomorrow. At 0800. No hats." He chuckles and I smile. "The crew on board yet?"

"Yeah. The last of them got on as I was boarding. Nebula confirmed that everyone is on board. You want Zaj to take us back to the stars?" I nod and he lets Zaj know that before we go to get ready for bed, having had a long ass day.

"One of us will have to get up in a few hours for the start of first watch. You know that, right?" Jay nods and wraps an arm around my waist.

"We can just relax for now, alright? I'll get up and then we've got to start recruiting more crew so that it's split evenly. Cuz the crew now if running themselves ragged to keep enough people on the floor for each watch."

"I know..." I sigh softly and he holds me close to his side. "I'll talk to Stakar about it tomorrow when I give the rundown of the past year." He nods and gently squeezes me to his side while I lean into him. "Let's just rest..." He nods again and holds me close as I fall asleep.

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I roll out of bed at 0500 and rub my face slightly, alone because Jay left at 0000(or midnight). I do my morning routine of showering, brushing my teeth, and look in the mirror, smiling a bit at my tattoos. "Well... Time for another day in paradise," I murmur and get dressed, not putting on my usual long sleeve shirt because I don't want one on and to kinda show off my new tattoos, even though only Dad and I can read what they say. They still look dope so who cares? I go to mess as I pull my jacket on and everyone goes silent, looking at me.

"Morning, Cap'n. Nice ink," Jaz nods at my head and I just nod slightly, getting food. Clover gives me food and I see that she looked exhausted.

"Has everyone gotten their meals for this watch?" She nods and yawns. "Get your meal, prepare some for the next two meals so that people can just grab one, and find a bunk. You're no use to everyone if you're dead. Clear?"

"Yes, Cap'n..." She does as she's told and I sit at the table with some other leads. Del, Pan, and Vin barely look up and they all looked like shit.

"Cap'n, we need more crew members," Tex says as he sits and I look at him, taking a small drink of my morning coffee. "We're all about to run ourselves into the stars early."

"I'm aware, Tex. Jay and I have the annual cycle meeting to attend today at 0800. I'll bring up the need for new crew members then."

"Cap'n," I look at them and they were all looking worried. "It's 0730." I look at my wrist com and look at Tex's when he offers it to me, my wrist com reading the wrong time. I dial up Jay's frequency and just grab whatever food wasn't a jello texture.

"One of you deal with the tray. Then find a bunk and someone to cover you while you get some rest." Tex hands me two protein bars and I take them, going to the hangar. "Damnit, Jay. Answer your damn coms!" I growl and see him dead on his feet, staring at something while his eyes were blank. "Damnit..." I grab him and lead him to the hangar, dialing Nebula's frequency on his wrist com.

_"Yes, Captain?"_

"Neb, you're in charge. Make sure the leads get some sleep and that you get some if you need it. Contact Jay immediately if anything happens. If you can't reach us, contact Quill, Gamora, or Kraglin."

_"Aye, Captain."_ I end the transmission and push Jay into the co-pilot seat on the _Winter_ , strapping him in.

"You, eat this then get some sleep." He nods and does as he's told while I pilot out of the hangar, falling asleep immediately after he finishes his protein bar. I eat mine as I set a course for the meeting planet and we go through some jumps before we're there because Zaj had piloted us away from Contraxia.

"Damnit..." I look at the time and see it was already 0750. "Jay, wake up." I land and he jerks awake, looking around a bit. "We're here. Get up and come with me, now. We only have ten minutes to get to the meeting." He quickly unstraps and we both get off of the ship, walking toward the building for the meeting.

Yondu and Kraglin were waiting and they both look at us. "Cuttin' close, don'cha think?" Yondu raises an eyebrow at me and I don't respond at first, following them inside.

"My wrist com's acting up, reading the wrong time, frequencies aren't going through. I'll look at it when I'm back on my ship and have Nebula double-check it to make sure I didn't fuck it up more." We get to the room the First Mates stay in and I shove Jay into a seat next to Martinex. "Make sure he doesn't keel over for me, Sparkles."

"You got it. You're cutting it close, kid." I shrug one shoulder and go inside the meeting room with Yondu.

"So nice of you two to grace us with your presence," Charlie smirks and I roll my eyes, sitting across from Yondu.

"Yeah, you guys must've been missing my pretty face already," I smirk at him and he scoffs. Stakar raps his knuckles on the table and we all look at him.

"If you two could be a bit further from the last second next time, that'd be great," Aleta says from his right and I nod while Yondu just rolls his eyes. "Rundown of the past annual cycle. I'll start." She gives the rundown and the captains to the right of her go next. Using that line of people, I'll be one of the last people to give my rundown, Mainframe before me and Charlie after me.

Mainframe finishes her rundown and everyone looks at me. "My ship is fully functional, the crew is settled, everything's good. I've got a mission lined up for this lunar cycle." Stakar nods and Charlie gives his rundown.

After that, Stakar gives out missions and Yondu and I end up with the more suicidal ones. I glance at Yondu and he was smirking, noticing me looking at him. "Wha'? Ya scared 'a them missions, girl?" I scoff and roll my eyes, not noticing the other Captains looking at me as they wait for my answer.

"As if. The suicidal ones are fun and they tend to be the ones that I can get more units out of."

"How's tha'?"

"I've gotta keep some secrets, don't I?" I smirk and he chuckles softly, shaking his head.

"Alright. That's it for this meeting. Yondu, Rogue, hang back." I was starting to stand and sit back down while the other Captains leave. Stakar stands behind his chair and looks between us, silent. I look at Yondu and he looks at me.

"Did we fuck up somehow?" He shrugs and we both look back at Stakar. "Did we do something wrong?"

"Why were the two of you exactly on time?"

"Ah wait fer her ta git 'ere an' we walk 'ere," Yondu shrugs and they both look at me.

"My wrist com is being all screwy." I take it off and show them. "It's reading the wrong time, frequencies aren't going through." I shrug and Yondu hands it back to me. "I'm gonna work on it when I get back to my ship and..." I drift off when Kraglin barges in with Jay and Martinex and they all look at us.

"Rogue. Kree and Skrull got on the ship. Nebula's holed up with a few of the kids and the other leads but everyone else... They've been throwing one crewmember out of the airlocks every five minutes and will keep doing that until you four," Martinex points to me, Yondu, Kraglin, and Jay. "Are on the ship to surrender to them. Everyone Nebula has have been confirmed as what they're supposed to be."

Jay's face was blank and I walk over to him, snapping my fingers in front of his face. He doesn't react and I shove him into a chair. "Keep an eye on him. I'll deal with those assholes." I start to walk to the door and Martinex steps in my way. "Sparkles, move. Now."

"Can't do that, Rogue. Because you're gonna do something stupid and I can't let that happen," He says simply and my implant flashes blue. I gather his collar in my hand and physically move him, throwing him against the table.

"You're right. I am going to do something stupid. It's what I do." I smirk at them and slam the doors shut, locking them inside the meeting room.

"Kid!" Kraglin yells at me and I just run out of the meeting building, to the _Winter_. I board and send a transmission to my ship.

_"22-3-16."_ A Kree and Skrull stand side by side and I just smirk coldly at them, piloting off of the planet.

"Kree, Skrull. What are you doing on my ship?"

_"We're here to gather our slaves. Where are the other three that we requested?"_

"You only get me. So deal with it. I'll be docking in the hangar in twenty minutes. Leave my crew alone and I'll go with you without a fight. Those are my conditions." I don't wait for a response and end the transmission, only to have another one pop up. I answer it and everyone in the meeting room pops up, looking pissed. "Oh, hey guys. How's it going?"

_"Girl, don'cha dare go ta tha' hangar!"_

"Who said I was going into a hangar? I know how to get onto my ship without going through the hangar, Yondu. No need to worry about me. I'd worry about how to get out of that room if I were you. Talk later. Buh-bye." I end the transmission before anyone can say anything else and get to my ship, sending a message to let the Kree and Skrull know I was there as I put on one of the spacesuits that are on my M-ship.

I open the airlock and go out of it, going under my ship as they activate the tractor beam to draw my M-ship into the hangar. "Let's do this..." I murmur to myself and go to a hidden airlock, dragging myself in after punching in a code. I pocket the spacesuit disk and pull on magnetic gloves, climbing to be on the ceiling of the airlock area.

Once I'm in a vent, I take off the gloves and shove them into a pocket before I drag myself to the brig.

I hang out of a vent opening upside down and activate my visor, looking at all of the cells. No Kree or Skrulls, but there were some of my crew members there. I push myself out of the vent and flip slightly, landing in a crouch below the opening. I look at the crew that was there and it was all medics and gunners. "Cap'n!" Kin hisses and I go over to the cell they're in. "They changed the passcodes to everything,"

"Well, good thing I have a universal key." He looks at me, confused, and I pull out my blaster. "Move back." They all move back and I blast the lock.

It takes five blasts before it gives and I nod, holding my blaster for now. "Alright, all of you with me. Find anything you can use as a weapon. Kin, you use this to cover me," I hand him my blaster and he nods. "The rest of the crew is in the airlocks. Let's go get them out of this." I start to walk out and hear my blaster go off before it feels like there's an explosion in my head, falling to the floor into a sea of black.

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When I come too, I'm tied up in the airlocks and my chin is grabbed, forcing my head up to look at the ugly mug of a Skrull. "Hello, 22-3-16," A Kree says from behind them and I stare at them before I spit in both of their faces.

"Fuck you. How'd you screw with my shit?"

"It was quite easy. We simply talked to our technicians and they told us what to do, step by step. Your visor and wrist communicator don't work now. How does it feel to be vulnerable without your arrow to save you or your crew?" The Kree snaps and some Skrulls drag some of my crew toward an airlock. "Send them out of the airlock." The crew gets thrown into the airlock and they pound on the door before they stop, drifting out into the deep.

I snarl and jerk slightly in the restraints. The Kree backhands me and my head snaps to the side before they drag it back to look at them. I spit in their face and they backhand me again. They drag my head back and smirk at me. "You will not escape so easily this time, 22-3-16," He forcefully lets go of my face and I try to get the ropes off.

The Kree and Skrulls throw the rest of my crew off and I can't do anything to help them, which feels like I'm getting stabbed in the stomach with the knife being twisted.

The Kree attaches a collar around my throat and cuffs on my wrists and ankles, yanking on the chain of the collar to drag me through the ship. I follow without any other choice and feel the need to survive start to claw its way to the surface.

We stop in the hangar and a Kree behind me hits me in the side with an electric stick. I clench my jaw and seize up, falling to my knees when they move the stick away from me. "Get up," The Kree yanks on the chain connected to the collar and I growl as it presses against my airways, standing as the need to survive activates fully.

Someone grabs my wrists and yanks them away from my body, pulling at my shoulders. I clench my jaw against the pain and they take the cuffs off, activating the collar to make the cuffs connect to them with a field. "Every time you move your hands away from that position, they get closer to your collar," They growl in my ear and I snap. I spin and grab them around the throat, putting my arm there so that they start to choke due to the collar.

I take their blaster and have my other hand under their arm so it doesn't move closer to the collar. I blast the Skrulls in the heads and aim at a Kree when so much pain explodes across my shoulders. I blast the Kree and the pain happens again, lower. I blast another Kree and the pain happens again, overwhelming me as I let go of the Kree I had before I blast them.

The pain happens again and it sends me to the floor, breathing harshly through grit teeth. "Get up," They growl and the pain happens again when I don't obey. "Get up!" They bark and I growl when the pain happens again.

"Fuck you," I snarl and the pain happens numerous times across the expanse of my back.

Suddenly, there's a lot of banging and shouting. "Stay down, girl! And cover your head!" Charlie yells and I do so with a bit of difficulty before there's also a lot of blaster fire.

After a few minutes, there's silence and someone pulls me to my feet. Aleta looked slightly pissed and she gets the collar and cuffs off. Stakar and Yondu come over and I use the door to the hangar to stay standing, not quite doing that great on my own due to the pain across my back. "Hey, guys... How's it going?" I smirk weakly and Yondu's eyes rake over my body, seeing the blood pooling behind my feet from whatever they did to my back.

Stakar grabs my shoulder and makes me sit on some crates, ignoring my growl when his touch hurts my shoulder injuries. "Marty, have you found Nebula and the leads yet?"

_"Yes, Captain. We're coming to the hangar now."_ They come into the hanger a few minutes later and I stand.

"Sit yer ass down!" Yondu shoves me back to sitting on the crate and I glare at him before looking over at the crew that Nebula had.

"Where's Sol?" Sta asks as she comes over to me, looking up at me, and I gently rest my hand on her head. "Where's Sol?" She repeats and I swallow slightly.

"They threw him out of the airlock, kid... Anyone who wasn't with you was more than likely thrown out of the airlock..." She doesn't react other than to move away and I set my hand on my knee while Tex comes over. "Don't. Not now." He stops and instead looks around the hangar slightly.

"What the Hell did they want?"

"The most stubborn people in the Ravagers," Aleta says simply and glares at me slightly. "And one of the stupidest people in the galaxy, beating Quill for that spot," She growls and I don't respond, not sure how to. "What happened to your implant?"

"A Skrull that looked like Kin blasted it."

"Where'd it get the blaster?"

"They fucked with my visor and wrist com. The visor said that there weren't any Skrulls or Krees in the brig and I gave it my blaster."

"Yeah. You beat Quill for being the stupidest person in the galaxy," Aleta scoffs and I stand with a bit of difficulty, smacking away Yondu and Stakar's hands.

"Aleta, screw you." The hangar was quiet and Aleta points a finger in my face, which I push away.

"Don't take that tone with me, girl! I'm older than you'd think!"

"Oh, don't worry! You're starting to go gray so I'm sure you're plenty old!" She glares at me before a smirk spreads across her face and lets out a scoff. "And it's about damned time you went gray. Leaving poor Stakar the only one with a head full of gray hair out of our misfit family. Talk about cruel!" She lets out a snort of laughter and I rub my face.

"Nebula, Vin, were you two able to work on the design information I sent you?"

"Yes, Captain. We were also able to get it done." I raise an eyebrow at her and she shrugs. "I don't need to sleep that much." She motions at her body and I give a mix of a nod and shrug in response to that. "It's in my quarters. I'll meet you in Med with it." She leaves before I can say anything and I roll my eyes slightly.

"Cap'n," I glance at Tex and raise an eyebrow at him. "Will you please come with me to Med so I can fix up whatever injuries are causing blood to pool behind your feet?"

"You're not going to leave me alone until I do, so sure. Let's go." I motion for him to leave the hangar and he stubbornly waits for me. "You're lucky you're too good of a Doc for me to kill. Did you check over everyone else?"

"Yes, Cap'n. While we were waiting for reinforcements." I nod and go with him to Med. He tries to help me and I hit his hands away.

"I can walk on my damned own," I growl and he doesn't try to help me again.

"Pain killers?" I shrug my ruined jacket off and shake my head. "You got it, Cap'n..." He cuts off my tank top and bra, handing me a gown. I pull it up my arms to cover my front and he starts to fix up my back, cleaning the injuries. "It looks like they hit you with a whip..." He starts to stitch them up and I grip the side of the bed as he continues to fix me up. "You sure you don't want pain killers?"

"You give me any drugs, I won't care if you're a good Doc or not. Clear?" I snarl and he continues to stitch them up.

"As a porthole, Cap'n."

"Good." I just clench the side of the bed when the pain is unbearable and clench my jaw tightly.

"You mind helping me wrap them up, Cap'n?" I help him wrap my torso up, wrapping the bandages around the front when he gives it to me, and he gives me some water when we're done. "Rest for a while and we'll get the crew out of the deep. Doc's orders." He leaves and I rub my face, setting the water down on a little table nearby.

"Captain," I look up as Nebula comes in and she was holding my new implant, which was a fin. I raise an eyebrow and she shrugs. "Yondu's implant was easy to copy." She comes over and moves to attach it. I catch her arm and she looks at me.

"You've never given me any reason to not trust you, Nebula. That trust better not be a mistake. Clear?" She nods and I let her go before she starts to attach the new fin.

"There." She steps back and I look at the mirror mounted on the wall of the private room. It looks dope and I nod slightly. It doesn't feel heavy or weighs down on my head and I look at her slightly.

"You and Vin did a good job. Go help the rest of the crew gather the ones in the deep and I want a holopad with the names of the crew we lost today."

"Aye, Captain." She leaves and I rub my face.

"Some luck this ship has with any crew..." I mutter under my breath and let out a slow breath, grabbing the water to down it.

Cal comes in after a few minutes and hands me a holopad. "The names of the crew we lost today, Captain." She leaves and I stand, grabbing my jacket.

"Looks great..." I scoff and pull it on before I walk to the funeral airlock.

"Cap'n, you should be resting," Tex says when I show up in the doorway and I glare at him.

"Last I knew, this was my damned ship. I'll be here if I want to be here." I go over to stand next to the airlock that the rest beds will go through to be turned to the sparkling dust and Jay was standing next to me. Sta was standing silently next to Sol's body in his rest bed and I let everyone say goodbye to their fallen crewmembers.

"What did you want the holopad of names for?" Jay asks and I look at him.

"It feels like it would be right to list off the names of the crew we lost..." He nods and the crew steps away from the rest beds. 


	28. Chapter 28

I look around the airlock and see what was left of the crew there, so no need for a ship-wide intercom. The rest of my dysfunctional, misfit family was there and I clear my throat slightly. Everyone looks at me and I hold the holopad at my side.

"You're all aware that you're not my first crew because some of you are from my first one. Ravager funerals are something that we learned together. But, this is the first time there's been this amount of losses in one day on the ship. I know you're all in some sort of mourning and you all lost friends, family, and team members. Any of you could have found out where the people they wanted were, but you didn't and you didn't sell out the rest of your crew to save your own skin." They all look at me and I carefully rub the back of my neck.

"For now, let's... Let's just take a minute to remember those we lost today."

"Captain." I look at Sta and she was staring at me. "That holopad has the names on them, right?" I nod and she looks at it then at Jay. "Have Jay read them, please..." I nod and hand the holopad to Jay. He glances at me as he takes it and I barely nod.

"Alright, Captain..." He murmurs to me and clears his throat to start reading the names. "Sol. Kin. Phen. Pent. Dia. Rig. Bon. Taserface. Visi. Sig. Det. Ala. Rol. Lin. Ley. Hal. Jax." He gives a moment between each name and none of them had given us their last names so they didn't have one on the holopad. "We release you into the stars to hear the horns of freedom." We finish the funeral and I notice Sta leave once Sol's rest bed was through and he was floating in the stars.

The rest of the crew leave and Jay looks at me, noticing my Med gown under my jacket. "You alright?" He asks softly and I give him a slight quirk of the corner of my mouth.

"My back hurts like Hell, but I ain't dead yet. So, I'd have to say I'm alright, yeah." He gently squeezes the back of my neck and smiles gently at me before he leaves to make sure the crew doesn't kill each other. I fold my hands on the back of my neck for a moment and sigh softly, dropping my arms to pull my gloves back on.

Dad opens his mouth to start talking and I put a hand up. "Shh. Whatever you're gonna say, it can wait. Just... Not right now." I leave and hear them following me, but don't care. I go to controls and set a course for a Ravager friendly moon that had bars, bot brothels, and hotels. "If you guys want to go back to your ships, you might want to leave now," I say simply and hear some boots walk away, glancing at the windshield to see Yondu, Kraglin, the Ogords, and Martinex there still.

"Wha'cha doin'?" Kraglin asks, looking over my shoulder, and I finish setting the course.

"Landing on a Ravager friendly moon. Giving the crew time to grieve. Taking a break. Call it whatever you like, I'm landing and staying down for a week."

"Why a week?" Martinex asks and I turn to look at them.

"If you haven't noticed, even when all of the crew was alive, Jay and I weren't functioning well. The crew was doing even worse."

"You said everything was fine during your rundown," Stakar says with a raised eyebrow and I cross my arms, leaning against a pillar near me.

"Yeah, well, I lied. I was gonna ask for some crew when these two and Jay barged in," I vaguely motion at the First Mates and notice the moon coming up. "Hang on and we can continue this conversation." I land the ship and swipe the course setting screen away for now as a message pops up. I open it and see a picture of me and my crew on Terra, all of us smiling at something.

"Ah sent tha' 'fore all tha' went down, girl..." Yondu says carefully and I just sit in my chair, silent after I swipe the picture away. "Ya a'ight?"

"Shh... Just... For a minute... Shh..." I rub my eyes and end with my fingers interlocked behind my head, moving them to rub my neck slightly. I let out a slow breath and just sense someone standing in the doorway so I look at the windshield.

"Yes, Tex?" He comes in further and I turn the chair to look at him. "What do you need?"

"To check your wounds." I look at my wrist com then Kraglin's, yanking his arm to do so, and raise an eyebrow at Tex. 

"It's been, max, two hours, dude."

"You've been healing faster, Cap'n." He shrugs one shoulder and I tilt my head to the side slightly to say 'fair enough'. "Can I check your injuries?" I wave my hand toward my quarters and he nods, going to it with the code just for him.

"He has a code to get in your quarters?" Aleta asks, glaring at me, and I raise an eyebrow at her as I stand.

"Lead Doc. He's the only one in Med that has it. That way, if there's a medical emergency with me or Jay, he can come in and we won't have to leave the other. It's really helpful if one of us is bleeding out. And it has a biometric system that pops up after the code is put in to ensure that it's him and not a Skrull posing to be him. He had Vin and Nebula add in something that would take his pulse and heart rate so it won't let him in if they're over a certain level due to a stressful situation."

"And if he's stressed because of trying to rush to your aid?"

"He doesn't get stressed in those situations. I know it's hard to believe, but I do know what I'm doing." I go to my quarters and they end up following me.

"Have a seat, Cap'n," Tex waves at the desk chair and I sit, straddling the back of it, before I take my jacket off, tossing it on the couch where the Ogords sit. Martinex sits in a chair across from Yondu, also in a chair, and Kraglin leans against a wall by a pile of bloody leathers. "I can have Cal or Eve fix that up if you want."

"Nah, just bring me the stuff that's needed." He nods and cuts the bandages off. "And get some damned sleep. The moon we're on has whatever you'll need, hotels included if you want." I fold my arms on the back of the chair and the bandages pull due to some dried blood.

"Aye, Cap'n." He cleans up my back and I clench my jaw slightly. "You shouldn't be out of bed right now... But I know it's useless to argue about that. Be careful lifting anything, don't pull your stitches, and you should be healed by 0800 or two solar cycles from now. Doc's orders."

"You got it." He applies bandages, with my help, and leaves. "Don't worry about the stuff from Cal and Eve's area. I should have enough stuff in here to fix it," I call after him and he gives me a gesture to show he heard. I push the chair back and grab a needle and thread from a drawer in my desk. "Krags, throw me some of those leathers," He does and I catch them, looking them over. "How in the Hell am I still growing?" I mutter under my breath and grab my thigh knife, searching for the seams on the sleeve of the old leathers.

"Lights?" I nod and one of them turns them up. I find the seams and slice through them, holding my knife between my teeth for now as I tear the sleeve along the seams to make it wider. "Where did you learn that?" I nod toward Yondu and do the same with the other sleeve while Martinex lays my jacket on the desk.

"Segs. I hated the lunar cycle that I was with him, but I learned helpful crap. Cuz Gramps thought it would be a good idea to cycle me through all of the teams for an annual cycle because he didn't like the way I used the smart mouth he taught me to have." I holster my knife and thread the needle, working on starting to sew the strips of leather where the whip cut my jacket.

"Yer still pissed 'bout tha'?" Yondu scoffs and I glance at him as I sew it easily, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes. You accused me of messing with your ship because you were following the rules of Ravagers after you had to pull me off of that Ukzan on Charlie's crew."

"Wait, wait." I look at Martinex, pausing in sewing, and he was looking at my hands. "I thought you sucked at that?"

"I'm good at faking stuff." I continue to sew and get the first couple of cuts fixed.

"Who made those outfits you and Blue wore?" Kraglin points at me with a smirk and I shrug my shoulder slightly when they all look at me, sewing fairly quickly. No one says anything else and I continue to fix my jacket up.

When I'm done, I carefully shrug it on and lean against the back of the chair, arms folded. "What do those tattoos say?" Aleta asks and I look at her.

"They're names in English," I say shortly and she looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "How long are you guys staying?"

"'Till yer good," Kraglin motions to his back and I nod.

"I've got some furs you guys can use, then. I'll bring them down." I stand and go upstairs, getting a couple of fur blankets from my closet before I take them back down.

"What? Do one of us not get one?" Martinex asks and I roll my eyes, tossing one to the Ogords, one to Martinex, one to Kraglin, and one to Yondu.

"That one is more than big enough for you two to share," I smirk slightly and sit in my chair with some tools to work on my wrist com and visor.

I pause and blink a couple of times when my head starts pounding behind my eyes, continuing when it dulls. "You alright?" I nod and set the tools down, grabbing a pill bottle from the coffee table with a water bottle. I shake a couple of pills in my palm and swallow them with some water. "Uh-huh..."

"Shut up, Sparkles. I'm allowed to take pills for a headache." I glare at him for a moment before continuing to work on my tech and there's silence. "I want to get the stuff fixed before I go to sleep, alright?" They don't respond and I just continue to work on my tech.

When I'm done, I put them where they go and put the tools up, looking at the time before contacting Nebula. _"Yes, Captain?"_

"Have any kids that left gotten back on board?"

_"The only one that got off was Cal and she's in her space with Eve."_

"And the other kids?"

_"They've been in their quarters for hours, Captain."_

"Alright. Thanks, Nebula."

_"Not a problem, Captain."_ I end the transmission and notice the others looking at me.

"What? I wanted to make sure the kids were on board. What's wrong with that?" They say nothing and I feel something eating at my gut, standing to go to the chair Martinex was in. I pull up the security feeds and make the airlock feed larger, watching it closely.

"What are you looking at?" I enlarge a certain area of the camera and watch for a minute before I go slightly pale. "What?"

"That feed's on a loop... Damnit. Sta's one of the only ones left on the technical team and knows how to loop a feed." I tap a few things and see Sta standing just outside of an airlock door, just staring out into the deep. "OK..." I take a second and go over to the wall by my desk, running my fingers along the surface of it.

"What are you doing now? You should be going to get your crewmember!"

"I know that, Aleta!" I bark harshly and press against a slightly raised portion of the wall. "I can't get there fast enough before she does whatever she's going to do! Have some fucking faith that I know what I'm doing!" I press harder against the portion and it budges barely. "Really? You sack of shit!" I take my knife out and slam the handle against the raised portion, slamming it to be level with the rest of the wall.

A door slides open from next to it and I glance at the feed to see Sta still just standing there before I go into the passageway, the door sliding closed behind me. I quickly go to the airlocks and go through a door that's off to the side, hidden from cameras. I carefully move into the airlocks and she spins to look at me, tears running down her face. "Sta, step away from the airlock," I say gently and make slight motions with my fingers for her to come to me.

"No! You... You just sat there," She points at the chair I was bound to and glares at me. "You just sat there and watched my brother get thrown out into the deep! How could you do that?" She yells and her hand goes for the button to open the airlock door.

"OK! OK! Hey, look at me, OK?" She looks at me and I hold my hands out slightly. "I know, alright? I know that I just sat there. I know that I just sat there and watched as the crew got thrown into the deep. And that's going to haunt me for the rest of my existence. I should have tried harder to get free and to save them. To save Sol." She glares at me and her hand goes closer to the button.

I lower myself to a kneeling position and she looks at me. "Just... Just listen to me for a minute, OK? I know what you're going through right now. You're mad at me for not being able to save S- save your brother. You're mad at those bastards for killing him. You're mourning because he's gone. And you're thinking that if you go out that airlock you'll be reunited with him in the stars. Am I right?" She nods a bit and moves her hand away from the button a bit.

"How'd you know that?"

"Cuz, I felt the same crap my first night onboard Captain Udonta's ship. I was pissed at them for starting a fire while my family was inside. I was pissed at everything that happened that day. I was pissed at my Dad for leaving my Mom. I was pissed that I couldn't save my family because I was just a stupid, useless, weak little kid. So, I went to the airlocks and Captain Udonta and Kraglin found me in the same situation we're in. But, we didn't talk. They showed up and you wanna know what Captain Udonta did?" She nods a bit and I move slightly closer, freezing when her hand gets closer to the button.

"He whistled his arrow to pin my sleeve to the wall so I couldn't open the door. I don't want to do that here with you. I want to be able to talk you into walking away from there on your own. I want you to find the will to go on that took me years to find. It took me getting my ship and having Jay to have a will to live."

"What if I can't?" She moves closer to the button and rests her hand on top of it.

"If you can't... Fake it until it's true. Talk to your friends that are still here. Talk to Jay. Talk to Tex." She presses the button and I launch myself forward, grabbing her jacket before she can step into the chamber. I yank her toward me and shut the airlock door while holding her close. "Talk to me, if you want to. Just..." I hold her out by her shoulders to look at her, kneeling again, and she was a mix of pissed and devastated before I gently grab her face.

"Don't let me find you in here again... Please... I am begging you... You may not want to, but you've got to find that will to live. Live for your friends. Live for your team. Live for your crew. Your family. Live out of spite to the Kree and Skrull. And, eventually, you'll feel like you're living for yourself instead of everyone else. Live for your brother... Live for Sol, to carry on his memory." I wrap my arms around her and hold her close, pushing her face into my shoulder. "Live for whatever you want to live for. Even if it's to see what alcohol tastes like. Just don't end it. You'll regret it as soon as you do it and you won't be able to undo it. Trust me..."

She wraps her arms around me and I stay like that with her for a few minutes before I let her go, unwrapping my neck bandana to clean up her face. I gently do so and she takes it from me, doing it herself with a huff. "I'm not a little kid."

"How old are you, then?"

"Twelve." I squeeze her shoulder gently and push myself to my feet.

"You're coming with me." I grab her hand and lead her to the door of the secret passage, leading her through it.

I point to a panel on the floor and mime kicking it. She kicks it, hard, and the door to my quarters slides open before I push her forward slightly. "Have a seat, kid." She awkwardly sits in the desk chair and I get her some bottled water, handing it to her. "Drink that." She drinks it and looks warily at the others. "Ignore them for now. Focus on drinking that. Then you're finding a bunk by one of the other kids so they can keep an eye on you." She nods and drinks the water quickly.

She throws the bottle away at my instruction and I message Jay. He comes into my quarters and comes to get Sta, taking her to find a bunk. I sit on the edge of my desk and rub my face slightly. "Ya a'ight, girl?"

"Yeah. Just... Reminded me of my first night off of Terra..." I sigh softly and push myself off of the desk. "I'm going to bed... You guys should do the same," I say simply and go upstairs, sitting on my bed. I do my nightly routine of removing things and keep all of my weapons but one knife out of reach, hiding it between the bed and the wall. I lay on my stomach and close my eyes to try to sleep. Jay comes in and flops into bed, falling asleep instantly.

Everyone moves around to get comfortable somewhere to sleep and I hear their snores drift up the stairs, still wide awake. I carefully slide out of bed and pull my boots on, carefully walking down the stairs. I go into controls and sit in my chair, just staring out the windshield into the deep.

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I jerk awake from nightmares of the crew getting thrown out of the airlock while they begged for me to help them and look at the time, seeing only a few hours had passed. I go to Med and see Tex was awake. "Cap'n." I nod at him and he looks at me. "Are you here for me to check your injuries?" I nod again and sit in the private room. He comes in and checks them over.

"Looks like I misjudged how fast you heal, Cap'n. Fully healed already. Congratulations." I nod and he leaves before I pull on a bra, tank top, and long sleeve shirt from the drawer. I leave and sneak a stim on my way, swallowing it dry. I leave the ship and go to get tattoos of the names of the crew we lost in English along my ribcage.

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When I board the ship, I'm getting attacked and tied up. I get tied against something in a storage closet near my quarters and notice Jay, Nebula, the other Captains, First Mates, Tex, Rin, and any leads we didn't save from the Kree are also tied up in there. _A mutiny._ I growl around the gag that had gotten shoved in my mouth and notice Yondu had a similar issue, not handling it as well as I was. Or better than I was. Not sure yet. I breathe slowly through my nose to get my bearings and, since all of us were tied to something, try to find a way to get around that while we leave the moon and go through some jumps.

_Focus, girl. Git yer brain ta work an' use it. Ya got this, kid._ I take a slow breath and feel the thing my hands are tied to, feeling rust all over it. I rub the ropes against it and the others were watching me.

The ropes give and I yank the gag out of my mouth, quickly untying my ankles. I go over and get the gag out of Yondu's mouth so he can whistle the others free. "Everyone not in here is part of this crap, Rogue," Jay says and I swallow slightly, nodding. "The ship can break into quadrants. Do you want me to get this one ready for release?"

"Yes. Nebula, are those things I told you to attach to the engines in place?" She looks confused for a moment before she nods and I nod back. "Once we're released, activate them. Clear?"

"Crystal, Captain." Jay leaves to ready the _Quadrant_ for release and I grab one of my disks, clicking to activate the blaster as I leave the storage closet.

"Tex, guard Jay and don't get killed. Either of you."

"Aye, Cap'n." He quickly follows Jay and I pull up the security feeds, seeing all of the mutinous crew all over the ship. I whistle softly and nothing happens with my arrow like I had been afraid of.

_"We're ready for release, Cap'n,"_ Tex says in my ear and I nod, pressing it slightly.

"Release it, now," I growl and the ship jerks slightly before we're broken off from the larger one, surging away from it. "Nebula."

"On it." She presses a few things and the rest of the ship blows up, careening us away from it while I turn my blaster back into a disk. I clench the back of my chair and look at all of the static security feeds. "Captain?" I hold a hand up and she doesn't say anything else while Jay and Tex come back in.

"Ro-"

"Don't!" I bark and the room goes silent while I gather my thoughts. "Tex, the storage room we were in is full of medical supplies. Jay, did you get those ships out of the hangar that I told you to?"

"Yes, Captain. They're still on the moon. Four of our M-ships and the ones belonging to the other Captains."

"Good."

"You knew this was coming?" Martinex yells and I spin on him, gathering his collar in my fist before I realize what I was doing, implant a solid blue. I let him go after a moment and growl wordlessly for a moment, walking away to get my brain to work past being pissed. I turn to look at Martinex and his eyes widen slightly at the look on my face.

"I had a feeling that something was going to happen. So I took the precaution of having our M-ships out of the hangar. If you ever accuse me of knowingly letting something like this happen again, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Stakar growls, interrupting me, and I turn my murderous glare toward him. "Back down and take a walk to calm down!"

"Don't fucking order me around on my own damned ship, Ogord!" He comes over and gathers my collar in his hand.

"Take a walk," He snarls in my face and lets go of me harshly. "That's an order from your Admiral," He adds and I snarl at him but leave the room, not having a lot of ship to walk anymore.

I walk around the _Quadrant_ and rub my face as I do, knowing they'll probably want an apology or something. I lean against a wall underneath a camera and breathe slowly to calm down.

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I head back into controls and notice that we were about to land to collect the M-ships. "Who do you want to get our ships, Captain?" Del asks and I look at him.

"You, Jay, Pan, and Rin." He nods and they get off when we land to get the ships, Aleta and the other two First Mates going with them to get their ships. Stakar looks at me and I wave my hand toward the door, the Leads leaving. "Yes, Stakar?" I brace myself on the back of my chair and he looks at me.

"You've had shitty luck for your first two years as Captain."

"I'm aware." He goes to the controls and sets a course for somewhere. "Just what the Hell do you think you're doing?" He doesn't respond and sends a message to the other ships. We go through some jumps and land on the meeting planet, Yondu suspiciously quiet. We were the only ones there and Aleta and my crew land next to us. "What is this about, Stakar?"

"You and I get to have a chat." He gets off of the ship and I follow, Yondu staying onboard. We walk into the building and he leads me to the gym, shutting the door behind us. I turn to look at him and he punches me in the face, sending me sprawling to the floor. "That's for threatening Marty," He growls and I stand, wiping my hand across my mouth.

"I'm sorry... Me threatening Sparkles wasn't right and I had no place to threaten your First Mate or grab him as I did... I'm sorry, Pops..." He looks at me and I rub the back of my neck. 

"What's up with you?"

"Maybe the fact that the Kree and Skrull got on my ship, killed seventeen members of my crew, and I got mutined on because I showed emotion, which means weakness. It's a lot harder to hide them when the person you're talking to reminds you of yourself..." I scoff and rub my knuckles carefully against where he punched me. "What the Hell is your hand made of? Bricks? Metal? Gods... That all you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah. C'mon. Your boy is bound to be wondering about where you are." I nod and follow him back to the _Quadrant_.

As soon as we're out there, Tex comes over and starts to list off everything we'd need while the rest of my crew was flitting around, making my head swim. "Everyone. Pause." He stops talking and holds the holopad at his side while everyone freezes, looking at me. "Holopad." He hands it to me and I look through it. "Did that closet have the med stuff you need?"

"Yes, Cap'n," He says, short and to the point, like I've taught them when I say pause and I look through it some more.

"So rations are a big thing that needs to be solved... Resume, let me think on how to solve this." They nod and go back to what they were doing while I continue to look through the holopad, thinking of ways to solve the issues. I notice the holopad shaking slightly and clench my hand around it, making it stop shaking. "Each M-ship has three seats and a bunk... Three places to sit will in the deep and somewhere you aren't supposed to unless injured... Three sets of rations for one solar cycle... Thirty-six sets of rations in total... Ten of us... If we don't mess with the rations, we'll have enough food for three days with six sets of rations leftover..." I say to myself and pinch the bridge of my nose slightly, trying to figure out what to do past those three days.

"Tex," He pauses what he's doing and looks at me. "How many stims do you have?"

"Enough for us, excluding Nebula, to make it through half of a solar cycle without sleeping."

"And if we narrow that down to... Five of the crew?" He furrows his eyebrows in thought and looks at me.

"About one, one and a half solar cycles, Cap'n."

"Do you have enough stims to get one or two of the crew through three solar cycles?"

"Yes, Cap'n, for one person. I don't recommend doing that, though..." I nod slightly and look over the crew, seeing that they're all worse for wear. Except for Nebula.

"Give me the stims." He looks at me and hands them over after a moment. "Look at the rations on the M-ships and leave enough rations to get the pilot through three solar cycles and one extra ration. You're the Doc, make the call on what ones would be most nutritious or whatever, and make sure we'll have enough on the _Quadrant_ to get the ones that stay on it through three solar cycles and one extra ration for each person."

"How many for you, Cap'n?" He asks carefully and I tap my thumb against the holopad to think.

"Three. I can stretch them out through the days." He just nods and goes to do that. "Next problem to solve is... Water. Easy." I pocket the holopad as I board the _Quadrant_ and go to my quarters, bringing out some packages of bottled water, setting them on the floor by my Captain's chair. "That's solved... Next problem to solve is..." I take the holopad out and look through it. "Security." I pull up the security feeds and remove the feeds from the rest of the ship, seeing that there were still a decent number of cameras. "Security headquarters will be in here and my quarters..." I message Nebula to let her know that and she responds in understanding. "Solved..."

I work through the list of issues quickly and get most of the things we don't have from my quarters, not minding making some sacrifices for what's left of my crew. "Biggest problems for last... A new ship and another new crew..." I rub my face and sigh softly, bracing my hands on the back of my Captain's chair. "OK... Where do I get a ship?" I research a few things and find a ship on Knowhere. "Hell no." I look some more and find one on Xandar. "Not much better." I keep looking and find a mission that would give us a ship as payment.

"Oh, yeah, perfect. And have the Nova Corps chasing me down for having a stolen ship. It's fucking perfect," I mutter and swipe that to the other two before I continue looking, starting to not be able to keep my eyes open. "Gods..." I take a stim and blink a few times, more alert now. "OK... Ship..." I see that I can buy one on Xandar for a fairly cheap price and look at it, weighing the pros and cons as I sit back in my chair.

"OK... Pros... It'll be legal, Nova Corps can't come after us for having it because it was bought legally, we'd be able to try to recruit former Nova Corps members, and people can visit whoever they need to... Cons... Parents of my first crew could still want my head on a platter, the ship looks worse for wear, and we'd have to go full speed to get there before the three solar cycle timeline is up..." I rub my neck and interlock my fingers behind it, thinking. "Pros outweigh the cons on this... Just got to tell the crew..." I stand and get off the ship to tell them the plan. 

"Captain, what's the plan?" Jay asks and I look at the rest of the crew. 

"Those of you who got the ships off of the moon, your piloting them again to Xandar."

"Why are we going to Xandar? That's nearly four lunar cycles away!" Jay hisses and I look at him, making him fall silent. 

"Xandar has a ship we can get and people we can recruit for a crew. Pan, Rin, when we land and after we've all gotten some actual food and sleep, contact any old Nova Corps buddies you might have and try to recruit them. Any supplies you'll need for the ships will be passed out by me and Jaz I so Jay can get his ship ready. Clear?"

"Yes, Cap'n," They all say with a nod and Jaz follows me on board to get the supplies passed out, each of them getting a small bag of things they would need. The bag included water, protein bars, some stims, and the coordinates of where we're getting the ship on a holopad. We hand them out and Jay looks at me as he grabs his last, Jaz giving us a moment alone. 

"Try to get some sleep instead of running on stims the whole three solar cycles... Please..."

"Same to you." I grab the back of his neck and bring his head level to mine, resting our foreheads together gently. "Be safe... I love you..."

"I love you, too. And same to you," He says cheekily and pecks my lips. "For luck, darlin'," He smirks as he gets off the ship and boards the 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘯. I shake my head slightly, smiling a bit, and the rest of the crew comes on board while the other four pilot the M-ships to Xandar. 


	29. Chapter 29

The flight to Xandar is difficult for everyone and I stay awake due to stims, caffeine drinks from my quarters, music, and the slight headache from staying awake for this long. Nebula was keeping an eye on me and the rest of the crew were being more subtle about it but I can tell. I stay awake to keep the ship running, on course, and to help Nebula, even though she doesn't need it. I also stay awake to stay away from the nightmares that I know will be there and I know that they'll be about almost getting taken by the Kree and Skrull, the crew dying in front of me, and the mutiny.

When we go through the final jump, Nebula lands planetside and docks us somewhere. "The rest of the crew is docked, Captain," She tells me and I nod a bit. "Would you like me to alert the crew onboard that we're docked so they can get a room and food?" I nod again and she does that.

The crew comes out and Nebula hands Jaz a unit card. "Use this to buy all of you a meal and a room. Captain's orders. If you see the rest of the crew, take them with you and do the same. Clear?"

"Got it, Nebula." He leads the crew off and I rub my face a bit.

"Time?"

"2300, Captain."

"Go with them to get some food."

"Aye, Captain." She does that and I go into my quarters, collapsing into my preferred chair while I close my eyes. I fall asleep and have no dreams.

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I wake to someone pounding on the door to my quarters and groan softly, getting up from my chair. I open the door and squint against the light coming in from the windshield of controls. Stakar, Yondu, Aleta, Kraglin, and Martinex were there and look at me. "I don't even know what time it is but I know it's too early cuz it's too bright... What do you guys want?" I sounded like crap and definitely needed a shower.

"You look and sound like shit," Aleta says simply and I grunt softly in response, moving to the side so they could come in. They do and I leave the door open. Kraglin tosses me water from my bar and it hits me in the chest after I fail to catch it.

"Nice one," He smirks and I flip him off, picking it up off of the floor before I down it.

"My response to that is... Screw you, Kragsy..." I clear my throat and stretch, all of my joints popping. "Ugh... I regret sleeping in a chair..." A portal opens outside of the door and Krugarr, Mainframe, and Charlie-27 walk through it to come in. "Come on in, guys," I say sarcastically with a roll of my eyes and rub my face slightly. "I need a shower... If Dad shows up, tell him I'm dead. I don't want to deal with his bullshit."

"You got it, Rogue," Martinex says and I give him a thumbs-up before going upstairs to my closet.

I fail at walking up the steps and tumble back down them, landing on my back at the bottom of them. "One word from any of you... You'll never speak again..." I groan and just stay on the floor for a few moments.

I stand and brush myself off slightly. _"Are you going to try to take the stairs again?"_ Krugarr asks and I rub my temples slightly.

"Know what? Fuck that. You mind?" He opens a portal upstairs and I go through it before he shuts it. "Appreciate it!" I call downstairs to him and get clean clothes before going to take a shower.

I stand under the steaming stream and let it cascade down my body, feeling all of the tension from the past three solar cycles leave me. "I'll have to see how long I was asleep for once I'm out..." I murmur and wash my body and face, making sure my head was clean too. I turn the water off once the soap's rinsed off of me and get out, drying off quickly despite the door being shut and locked because every one of those idiots knows how to pick a lock.

I go downstairs as I attach my weapons where they go and am holding my jacket over my shoulder with the help of my teeth before I put it on. "Want some help?" Martinex snorts and I flip him off as I attach my wrist com, seeing that I'd slept for about thirteen hours.

"Fuck you, Sparkles," I say as Dad and his crew come in and Rocket just gets a bottle of liquor. "Dudes. What the fuck?"

"What? You're buying a new ship, right?"

"Rocket, I feel fucking dead right now. Points need to be made quickly or deaths will happen."

"You're buying a new ship, what are you planning on doing with this one?"

"Bold of you to assume I've planned that far," I scoff and he looks surprised. "Apparently... Planning doesn't come to me easily after I've seen seventeen crew members thrown out of an airlock, tried to talk another out of throwing themselves out of an airlock into a crater on a moon, and blow up a mutinous crew. Compared to any other stressful situation." 

"You've got issues..."

"You've known me since I was ten. You should've learned that sooner than this moment in time," I say simply and get my units from the hidden compartment. "Oh! That's nice! Fuck those kids!" I slam the compartment shut and stand, too pissed to form words now. So, instead, I just growl wordlessly and pace around my quarters, thinking.

"Didn't make a backup plan in case you didn't have your units?" Dad asks and I throw my knife at him. He squawks and moves quickly. My knife embeds itself behind the bar and I spin a small, thin blade around my fingers as I think and pace.

"Just had to give one more huge 'fuck you', didn't ya, you little assholes?" I mutter under my breath and don't notice the others look at each other before looking at me again, worried. I catch the blade and tap the handle against my temple slightly as I think, still not noticing them watching me. "OK... This isn't working..." I sit on a folded blanket on the floor and try to calm down from being pissed, putting the small blade up.

"Alright... What do we know? The only units that I had, I gave them to the crew for food and cheap rooms last night... What are the issues at hand? There aren't any units onboard and I still need a new ship and some more crew... What are some ways to solve it? There were four ships I was looking at, one's out immediately because it's on Knowhere... The one I was going to buy, another one here, and the one where we get the ship for completing a job... The person giving the ship for the job is here... Which is very convenient..." I blow out a slow breath and calm, standing easily.

"You want this back?" Rocket holds out my knife with the handle facing me and I take it, putting it back in its holster at my thigh. "Got your life figured out now?"

"Ha! I wish," I scoff and stretch again, rolling my shoulders slightly. "I'm not as pissed off. Does that count?" He shrugs and I give him a short thumbs-up before pulling up the four ships I was looking at before we left the meeting planet. "Fuck that one," I mutter and swipe the one on Knowhere away before looking at the two on Xandar. "I could technically steal both of them..."

"Then you'll get targeted by the Nova Corps," Dad says and I turn my head to look at him. "Just saying."

"I'm well aware of that, Dad. Very helpful of you to point it out to me again. I just said that I could steal them, not necessarily that I would." He shrugs and I look at the job to see what it was. "That's easier than I thought it'd be." I go over to my bar and grab a bottle of whiskey, looking it over for a moment. "Yup. Cool. That's done."

"What?"

"The person wants a bottle of this whiskey. I have plenty of it. Easiest thing ever." I go back over and look at the spot where the buyer wants it delivered. "Bay Four of Dock One..." I grab a loot pouch and put the bottle in it.

"Do you want one of us to come with you, Rogue?" Mantis asks and I shake my head slightly as I leave my quarters.

"Nah. If the person tries to fuck me over, I can just shoot them, keep the whiskey, and take the ship." I pause outside of the door and look at Krugarr. "Are there any people on your crew that can do your portal thing?"

_"I don't believe so. Why?"_

"Sating my curiosity." I continue off of the ship and to Bay Four of Dock One, which is the dock Nebula docked us at.

The buyer was waiting and looks at me. "I'm assuming that you're the one who accomplished the job," They say to me and I nod. "Where's the bottle?" I look at them and they click a button on their wrist com before a ship the size of a normal Ravager ship flickers into view. "Happy with it? It's fully stocked with the med bay, the mess hall, the designer's area, and the bar in the Captain's Quarters with some units on the bar. All of the equipment is new." I look it over and nod. They take off their wrist com and smash it before I hold out the bottle.

"Enjoy." They nod and leave with a small smirk. I send a message to my crew on where the new ship was and ignore the gnawing in my stomach, chalking it up to being hungry.

Jay leads the crew and some recruits to the ship and they all look at me. "Captain," Jay bows his head slightly and gives me the Ravager Salute which I reciprocate. "Pan and Rin were able to recruit some former Nova Corpsmen."

"Good. The four of you who piloted here in an M-ship, I want you to get them in the hangar of the new ship."

"What's the ship's name, Cap'n?" Del asks and I look at the ship, thinking about that. It was a black ship with specks of silver, blue, and other bright colors to match the stars and dust of a Ravager funeral but looked like a shadow. There was a small fin-like thing at the top that looked like a blade and I look at the ship some more.

" _Shadowblade_ ," I say simply and they nod before Jay, Del, Rin, and Pan go to get the M-ships to pilot them into the hangar. I lead the rest of them on board and have Jaz go get my family from the _Quadrant_.

"Have you heard about the missing children?" One of the recruits asks me and I look at them as I lead them on board the ship.

"Don't think so, no... Why?"

"I was just curious if you had heard about them since your crew had been talking about them." I nod slowly and look at all of them, eyes settling on Tex as he looks around controls.

"Cap'n," I raise my eyebrow at him and he nods his head toward the open door on the right side of controls, the Captain's Quarters.

"Got it." I go toward the door and walk quietly as I go in, looking around the room before I turn the lights up.

Everything freezes when I see a bunch of kids laying around the room, sleeping, and I turn. "Tex, get in here." He comes in and freezes, looking at all of them. "Are these those missing kids?" He nods and I curse, sending Jaz a message to tell him to keep the others off of the ship.

"Why don't you want us on the ship, exactly?" Rocket asks and I leave the Captain's Quarters to see they're already on while the other four come into controls. Jay looks at me and comes over, looking in the quarters. He sees but keeps his cool and turns to look at me.

"Those are the missing kids," He whispers to me and I barely nod. "Why are they in your Quarters?"

"That's a question I'd like answered too, alienboy," I hiss and notice the others watching us suspiciously. "Gods... How the Hell do I explain this to the Captains?" I look at Jay and he shrugs. "Not helpful!"

"Relax. You're about to freak out and that's not a good thing to do in front of the crew," He reminds and I kinda glare at him. "I'm just saying, Rogue, that you need to try to calm down and then think about how to explain to them." I was trying to get him to shut up because Krugarr had started to come over and sees inside the quarters.

_"Rogue, would you mind explaining the current predicament you seem to have gotten yourself into?"_ I open my mouth to respond as the rest of the Captains come over with the two First Mates and nothing comes out. Dad comes over with his crew and I close my mouth, feeling panic rise in my chest like an orloni clawing at my chest. _"Rogue?"_ They're all looking at me and I just go into the quarters, going over to the bar to get away from the suffocating gazes of the crew and recruits.

I vaguely hear the door shut and can't seem to breathe properly, my chest feeling like there's an entire ship resting on it. I peel my jacket and long sleeve shirt off and lean against the bar, head in my hands while I try to get control of the fucking panic still clawing at my chest. Someone touches my shoulder and I calm down nearly immediately.

"Are you alright now, Rogue?" Mantis asks softly and I rub my face as I nod slightly before I look at the others.

"What the Hell is with the missing kids being in here, Rogue?" Martinex asks and I shrug after a moment of failing to speak. "That's the best you've got?" He narrows his eyes at me and I rub my face, grabbing a bottle of Rhone before I gulp some to calm the last of my nerves so I can fucking talk. I just down the rest of the bottle and set the empty bottle on the bar, noticing the units on the other end where Stakar was looking at them before he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"This is looking worse for you at every turn, Rogue," Dad says carefully and I look at the sleeping kids then Stakar.

"I don't know why the missing kids are on the ship. I didn't even know there were any missing kids until one of the recruits said something." Stakar looks at Mantis and she touches my shoulder before she nods.

"She is telling the truth. How are you going to get them back to their families?" I look at the kids and shrug a bit.

A few of them suddenly sit up and look around. "Momma?" They call softly, all of them looking similar so probably siblings, then all of them are sitting up and are calling for different people before their eyes settle on us.

"Ah, shit..." I hold my hands out slightly in the attempt to calm them down and one of them screams. "No, no, no, no! Don't do that!" The rest of them start to scream and someone pounds on the door to the quarters. "ENOUGH!" I bellow and the kids fall silent, scared into it. "Fuck..." They all start crying then and I try to think of a way to calm them down.

"Um, please stop crying..." I say awkwardly and try to go toward one only for them to scream and scurry away. "Alright, staying here... Rude..." I look at Mantis and she shakes her head.

"I will not be able to calm all of these children down with my powers," She says sadly and goes toward one slowly, gently touching their cheek. "Calm..." They calm down and look at me.

"Hi..." They narrow their eyes at me and come a tiny bit closer to me after they stand.

"How'd we get here?"

"That's the question of the day, kid," I scoff and they go around to calm the other kids down. "Do you guys know where you live?"

"On Xandar," The girl the Mantis calmed down says like it's obvious and I nod slightly.

"Yeah, should've expected that. What part of Xandar?"

"The part we live on," She smirks at me and I look at her.

"You're a little shit." She just shrugs and gets all of the kids calmed down.

"Are you gonna feed us or just keep us captive in this trash bucket you call a room?"

"Wow. You're a priss."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're rich."

"Obviously," She scoffs and looks at me. "And you look homeless," She smirks coldly at me and I look at her, so tempted to just bitch slap her. "What are you looking at, homeless lady?"

"Ooh, so tempting..." I mutter under my breath and look at all of the kids. "Are all you guys rich?" The girl nods and rolls her eyes.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I'm going to knock your teeth down your throat if you keep your smartass mouth up, you little bitch," I say shortly and she looks shocked, shutting up. "Now, are any of you the kids of Nova Corpsmen?" They all shake their head and I nod. "Good." A little kid comes up to me and tugs on my pant leg. "What?"

"When can I see Auntie Nova again?"

"Please tell me you don't mean Nova Prime..." He nods and I scoff slightly. "Of course you do... Who else would you mean?" I mutter under my breath and rub my face slightly, thinking. Jay was standing by the door and I notice him. "Jay, tell the crew about the predicament and have Jaz and Tex get ready to help me escort these kids back to their families."

"Aye, Captain." He goes to do that and I sigh softly, leaning against the bar as I look at the kids.

"Why'd you kidnap us?"

"I didn't."

"How'd we wind up here?"

"No clue."

"Do you know anything?"

"Yeah, that I'm about to make good on my promise to knock your teeth down your throat."

"You're very violent, is it because you're an idiot?"

"Wow. You're rude."

"So you do know how to talk other than threats."

"And more than insulting people."

"You're ugly."

"Better than your damned personality. Jesus fuck, kid, use some of the shit on your face to make your personality and inside look better. Damn." She doesn't know how to respond and I turn to grab my shirt and jacket.

"What happened to your back?" One of the younger kids asks and I just pull the shirt over my head.

"She was clearly a slave, idiot," The oldest girl says and I lose my temper, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt to drag her to her feet and making us eye-level with each other.

"You don't know shit about me so don't start talking like you do," I growl in her face and drop her before I pull my jacket on. "That goes for all of you little shits. I didn't kidnap you guys and I didn't know you were missing until after I traded this ship with something else. So, you ain't got a problem with me. You've got a problem with the guy I bought the ship from." There's a knock on the door and I answer it, seeing Jaz and Tex waiting. I look at the kids' feet and see they had nothing on them. "Great..."

Krugarr opens a portal in front of each kid and shoes fall in front of them. "Put those on," I say simply, nodding thanks to Krugarr, and the kids pull the shoes on. "That included you, princess," I tell the oldest girl and she looks at the shoes in disgust.

"I am not wearing these."

"I'm not in the mood for this bullshit." I go over and simply toss her over my shoulder. "Let's go," I say as I lead the way off of the ship and the girl pounds her fists on my back as she demands to be put down. "You gonna put the shoes on?"

"Yes! Now I demand that you put me down!" I set her down just off the plank of the ship and hand her the shoes, which she quickly pulls on. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic. Let's go." I lead the way to the busy city of Xandar and Jaz and Tex take up the rear.

When we get there, Nova Corpsmen were waiting for the kids and I step aside to let them run toward the Corpsmen. "Captain Rogue," Nova Prime says as she intercepts her nephew and I nod slightly to her. "Why did you take these children?"

"I didn't, Nova Prime, Ma'am. I traded the ship they were on for something the former owner wanted and I was unaware that they were on board." I notice Nova Corpsmen closing in and Jaz and Tex come closer to have my back. "Ma'am, I can give you my word that I didn't kidnap those children. I would never do that." I put my hands in my pockets and one of the Corpsmen points a blaster at me.

"Keep your hands where we can see them!" I take my hands out of my pockets and had small orbs. "Drop the orbs!"

"If you say so..." I throw them onto the ground and a cloud of smoke appears, blinding the Nova Corps and anyone else in the courtyard. "Follow me," I hiss and run through the smoke with Jaz and Tex following close behind. I run through alleys and reach a dead-end, cursing as I hear the Nova Corps chasing after us.

"Rogue!" Someone hisses and I turn to see a door open, smirking. "Come on!" They hiss and the three of us go inside before the door shuts. "Get down!" We duck under a window and hear Nova Corps go past it.

"Alright... It's clear..." We all get up and someone turns some lights on. "You fucking bitch!"

"What's up, you little bastard?" I grip the hand of the guy that helped us escape the Corps and hug him, patting his back while he does the same. We let go of each other and I look him over. "Damn. You look like shit." He scoffs and whistles before some other people come into the room. "You all look like shit."

"At least we still have our hair!" A girl hollers and I roll my eyes, smirking. "Those tattoos are pretty fucking dope, though."

"Damned straight they are. Give me back my shit, asshole," I say to the guy I hugged and he hands me back my stuff before I put it back where it goes.

"How's Captain life treating you?" I shrug one shoulder and nod toward Jaz and Tex.

"Can't complain. This is Tex is the lead Doc, and Jaz is the lead tactician and strategist. Guys, these are the people I give units to sometimes."

"Wow. OK." The guy I hugged looks insulted and I smirk. "I'm Triz, the leader of the Xandar Rebellion."

"Yeah, the rebellion," I scoff and he glares at me. "You steal shit from the Nova Corps and sleazeballs that dock here. That's not really a rebellion." He rolls his eyes and the others look at us before he introduces the rest of his crew to Jaz and Tex.

There's a Chur, Kea, Zeep, Brom, Hean, Zax, Vid, Rasu, Laz, Kol, Ails, Zon, Soik, Tok, Surzi, Avu, Kun, Gil, Keo, and, of course, Triz. "How do you know our Captain?" Tex asks with narrowed eyes and I chuckle.

"She broke into our house and left units on the roof. Back when we lived with those other kids. I heard you recruited them. How're they doing?" Triz looks at me and I look away, giving him all the answers that he needed. "Oh..." The house is silent for a few minutes so they can remember the kids and I let it happen.

"Did you try to keep them safe?" Rasu, the girl that said my tattoos looked dope, asks and I nod. "OK. Good. You still need a crew?"

"Rasu!"

"Can it, Triz. We've nearly got shipped off to Klyn Two, five times now. We'd be better off with those crazies than on this damned planet." They all look at me and I nod slightly.

"Would we be able to come back to visit the graveyard?"

"Of course. I'd just need to know when you planned on doing it so that I could make sure the ship ran well still. And you can't all go at the same time. But, yeah. You could come back to visit the graveyard. I wouldn't force you to stop doing that." They nod and make a circle so they talk to each other about it. The three of us wait for them to finish and watch them.

"Alright. We'll be part of your crew." I nod and Triz looks at me. "Where's the ship?"

"Dock One, Bay One." He nods and leads the way out of the house before I lead the way to the ship, moving quickly while Jaz and Tex take up the rear to make sure everyone made it to the ship.

I lead the way on board and Jay looks at me. "The Captains M-ships are currently in our hangar. More recruits?" I nod and he nods back, kinda glaring at Triz. "Triz."

"Jay," Triz smirks at him and I ignore them, setting a course for anywhere but here instead of dealing with them. I pilot us off of the planet and get out of the atmosphere before we're stopping.

_"By the authority of the Nova Corps you are under arrest for kidnapping,"_ Someone says over my speakers and I scoff, pressing a button to respond.

"Sorry, pal. Not today." I press a few things on my wrist com then the holoscreen in front of me before we're able to move again. "I'll give you a C minus for your effort," I smirk and pilot us through a jump, stopping so we're floating outside of Nova Corps jurisdiction.

"How'd you do that?" Triz looks at me and I smirk in place of an answer, looking at Jay.

"You got the layout of the ship?" He hands me the holopad and I look through it, nodding. "Good. Med, Mess, and the designer area stocked?"

"Yes, Captain. Rin and Pan are working on getting the recruits from Nova Corps their jackets and will message you when they're ready so you can sew on the patches. There's only one problem..." I raise an eyebrow at him and motion for him to explain. "The leathers aren't our colors... They're black."

"OK. So we have new colors. Problem no longer a problem." He nods and glares at Triz. "Jay, don't start. Triz is an old friend and part of the crew. You're my First Mate and husband. You seriously think you have to fight over me more?" He smiles at me and I look at the group. "Take them to the designer area and make sure someone messages me when the jackets at least are ready."

"Aye, Captain." He leads the group to the designer area and I notice my family hanging out around my quarters.

"Yes?"

"How'd you do that with the Nova Corps ship?" Rocket asks and I shrug one shoulder.

"You're the one that taught me to hack shit. I used the basics you taught me to get better." I pat his head and he glares at me. Groot had grown more and was the size of a teenager. "Hey, Groot." He just raises a hand as he plays on a game and I nod slightly. "Good talk." I rub the back of my neck slightly and feel a slight spark from my arrow in my implant. "I've gotta go do stuff. See you guys in a bit." I leave controls and head to med.

"No, ya ain't," Yondu says as he catches me by the collars of my clothes and chokes me slightly.

"You need to find a woman to take your kinks out instead of on me." He blushes purple as he lets me go and I bolt to med to get my implant checked out by Tex.

"Cap'n?" Tex looks at me when I stop in the doorway and I motion for him to hold on, catching my breath quickly.

"Need you to look at my implant if you got a minute." He nods and motions for me to sit on a bunk. I do and he looks my implant over before he adjusts some things.

"Try controlling your arrow now, Cap'n." I whistle and my arrow soars out of its holster. "Alright. Should be fixed now, Cap."

"Nice. Thanks, Tex." He nods and I leave med to head to controls. My family was heading toward med so I instead go the opposite way and head to the designer area.

"'Ey!" I duck into the designer area and shut the door before going over to Jay, Rin, and Pan.

"How's it coming?"

"Nearly done, Captain," Pan says and I nod a bit, helping them finish a few more sets of leathers before I get started on sewing the patches on after calling the names on them so that they can finish after I get it started.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There. All of you have at least two sets of leathers. Once everybody is settled, everyone will get at least one more set." They all nod and I go to find my family.


	30. Chapter 30

"Quill wanted me to tell you that they're in your quarters, Captain," Nebula tells me once I get to controls and I nod, going into my quarters. I shut the door and move to the side to avoid getting a knife to my head. It gets lodged in the door and I take it out, flipping it slightly to hold it by the blade.

"You want this back?" I hold the knife out for a moment before tossing it on the table in the middle of the room and Groot looks up from his game before going back to it. Drax grabs the knife off of the table and puts it up. "Was not expecting you to be the one who threw it at me..."

"Wha' the Hell, girl?" Yondu glares at me and I look at him. "Wha' was tha' shit ya said 'bout?"

"You need a woman, Gramps. I'm just saying." Jay was sitting on the stairs and snorts.

"Ya shut yer mouth, boy!" Yondu was blushed a bit purple and glares at me more. "An' ya ain't gotta worry 'bout m'life, girl!"

"OK." I shrug one shoulder and lean against the wall, looking at them. "So... Kraglin... When are you going to make you and your woman official?" Someone knocks on my door and he motions for me to open it, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I open it and his woman was standing there.

"Um... Hello... I'm Senso..." She says awkwardly and Kraglin comes over, smiling. She smiles back at him and I move to the side for her to come in at Kraglin's side. "Hello, Captains..." She gives us the Ravager Salute and we reciprocate it. "Um... Is she OK?" She looks at me and I was grinning like an idiot, acting kinda like the kids would on Christmas.

"I'm amazing. Lovely. Great. Awesome. Yes." I grin at Kraglin and Senso and go over to my bar. "Drink?"

"Um... Sure...?" I pour her one and hold it out to her. She takes it and I pour one for everyone else. "I've never seen you smile this much... Are you sure you're OK?"

"Dude, Kraglin is finally getting a woman after being lonely for the entire time that I've known him despite both of you fucking liking each other since Yondu recruited you. So, in the infinitely wise words of Stakar, to these two idiots finally realizing they love each other," I toast, motioning to Kraglin and Senso, and Stakar laughs before he clinks glasses with me. I grin at the two of them before they each clink glasses with me and the others do the same before we all drink some.

"How did you know that we liked each other?"

"I am Groot," He says from the couch where he was still playing on his game and I scoff, taking a drink.

"Basically, Groot, yeah. You two idiots would look at each other with sparkles in your eyes, blush whenever someone brought up the other, and get pissed when someone brought up the other being with someone else. Good thing we rigged that damned game with the garter." I smirk at Kraglin and Jay snickers as he drinks, leaning on the bar by me.

"Ya wha' now?"

"She had me make sure it got to you, Kraglin," Jay explains and I drink from my glass while Kraglin glares at me.

"Hey, don't look at me. People in this fucking dysfunctional family need a damned push to get with people they care about. Hence why the toast is about idiots realizing they love each other."

"Please tell me that you do not include Mantis and myself as a couple in your mind," Drax looks at me and I look at him then Mantis.

"Not anymore. Mantis is too good for you because you're a toxic asshole." I smile falsely at him and finish my drink while everyone is silent, not sure how to respond to that. "Now..." I look at Senso and she looks surprised at my intent gaze. "It's time for your initiation."

"My what now?"

"'Er wha' now?"

"It's simple. All you have to do is have a battle to the death with Tex and if you're victorious, you can marry Kraglin."

"What?" Everyone looks at me like I was insane and I keep my gaze on Senso.

"Or me. I'm not sure if I can die, though... Anyway, not the point. It's to figure out whether or not you're worthy of Kraglin." She launches over the bar and knocks me to the floor behind it easily, holding Kraglin's knife to my throat. "OK! I was kidding! That entire spiel was a joke!" I grin nervously at her and she was highly unamused. "Yeah, in hindsight, probably wasn't as funny as I was hoping it would be. My bad," I chuckle nervously and she stands, giving Kraglin back his blade before offering me a hand like she used to do when we'd spar. I take it and she pulls me to my feet before patting my shoulder. "We cool?"

"Yeah. We're cool."

"We ain't cool," Kraglin says, glaring at me, and I grin at him a bit. "Wha' the Hell, kid?"

"This is kinda your fault."

"M'fault? How?"

"You're the one who helped me develop my fucked up humor. And Rocket..." Kraglin glares at me still and I shrug one shoulder, smirking at him a bit before I look at Senso again. "Anyway... You do realize that Kraglin has the messiest quarters on the _Eclector_ , the most rancid morning breath in the history of ever, snores super loudly, wears the same set of clothes for a week straight, and can still make up for all of that because he's madly in love with you. Congratulations, you have one of the best men in the galaxy sharing a bed with you and he'll stay loyal to you until both of your dying breaths." The room is silent and Kraglin was blushing as blue as Nebula, glaring at me.

"Now, I've gotta dip because said man is about to test how well I can die. Later." I dash easily from behind the bar and Kraglin knocks me to the floor, pinning me there as I grunt. "I'm gonna guess you aren't too happy about that sappy shit?" He glares at me and I just grin, flipping us over so that I'm pinning him down. "Well... Guess you've just got to suck it up, Kragsy." I stand and offer him a hand, pulling him to his feet when he takes it.

He suddenly grabs me in a headlock and pulls me close to him. "Ya shot up, kid."

"Yeah, so maybe stop calling me 'kid', huh?" I shove at his head and torso and he lets me go, grinning.

"Nah. Yer taller but yer still tha' annoying lil' kid Ah grabbed on Terra, kid," He smirks and I shove at his head, rolling my eyes. "An' Ah can still kick yer ass."

"Sure you can, Kraglin. Sure you can." I roll my eyes again and notice Groot turning on a holoscreen. "What are you doing, twig?"

"I am Groot." He motions to it and turns the volume up so that we can hear Nova Prime put a bounty on my head.

"Damn. I see our rivalry is back on, you bitch," I scoff and look at the price, thinking. "Hijacking a Nova Corps transportation ship should be easy enough. Because that is a lot of fucking units for one person."

"Well, she thinks that you kidnapped her nephew," Martinex points out and I look at him before looking at the price again.

"I get a few million units, maybe a billion. She's offering a trillion units for my capture."

"I'm going to say this very freely, Rogue." I look at Jay and he was bracing his hands on the bar, staring at me. "Don't be a dumbass and tell me that you aren't thinking about-"

"About cashing in that bounty then breaking free of the Nova Corps?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, no worries. I'm not thinking about doing that."

"Good."

"I am doing it." He tosses his hands in the air and gets another drink.

"Why am I not surprised? Do you have a decent plan at least?" He leans against the wall to the side of the liquor and raises an eyebrow at me.

"Watch it, alienboy. And I'm working on that plan right now."

"Then you shouldn't mind sharing what you have so far, right?" He sips on his drink and I look at him, unamused.

"What percentage of a plan do you have?" Rocket asks and I look at him.

"The percentage? Why does that matter?"

"Because it'll show us how much you've thought it through."

"I'd be able to think it through more if you'd all shut up."

"Or you could bounce ideas off of us," Mainframe says and Jay motions toward her.

"What she said." I rub my temples slightly and lean against the chair Groot was sitting in while he plays his game some more. I look at it and see that he's hacking a computer in the game.

I grab a holopad and adjust some of the code on it, giving it a virus that will take control of any computer or ship it comes in direct contact with. It takes a little while to do that and I look it over before I grab another holopad, making a fix to the virus. I look both of the codes over and have the virus holopad link to Jay's wrist com before I put the codes away, marking the virus one with red tape.

"Mainframe, I'd like to apologize deeply for what I'm about to do, and ask that you please don't kill me." She looks confused and I touch the virus holopad to her shoulder before Jay's wrist com beeps while she can't move.

"What did you just do?" He narrows his eyes at me and I go over to him, clicking on the popup. I use the arrows to make Mainframe move and she glares at me. I go back over and touch the virus fixing holopad to her shoulder, barely managing to dodge a punch from her.

"That isn't what I meant by bounce plans off of us, Rogue!" I wince a bit and grimace apologetically. "What the Hell was that?" I show her the code and she looks at it, being careful to not touch it again. "You made a virus that would take control of any computer, AI, and ship that holopad comes into contact with?" I nod and she looks slightly impressed. "And your first thought is to use it on me?" I rub my neck awkwardly and she glares at me a bit. "I want a cut from the billion units you're getting."

"A million." She glares at me and crosses her arms. "Five million...?"

"I'll accept that amount." She leaves and I scratch the back of my neck as the rest of them follow her, Groot walking as he plays his game. Jay shakes his head and follows. I wince slightly at the deafening sound of the door closing and rub my face.

"Damnit... That was a major fuck up on my part..." I sit in my chair and sigh, thinking. "Nebula can take me to cash in the bounty and get the units before she comes back..." I get a notification that someone's docking in the hangar and quickly go to it, tucking the holopads in my pockets as I do.

I step into the hangar to see four Nova Corpsmen get off of a ship before we stop a few paces from each other. "Rogue Udonta, by the authority of the Nova Corps you are under arrest for kidnapping. I do not suggest resisting as you did earlier by hacking into the ship," The leading Nova Corpsman says simply and I glance around the hangar, noticing my crew and family watching.

"I didn't kidnap anyone and especially not those kids."

"How did they wind up in your care, then?"

"I already told you that." I notice the other three Nova Corpsmen closing in on me and my implant flashes streaks of blue, crossing my arms over my chest. "I traded the ship for something the former owner wanted, I got on board, and the kids were in the Captain's Quarters. I had no clue they were on board or that there were even any missing kids."

"How were you unaware of that? We kept their faces on every informative frequency!"

"I was otherwise occupied." The Nova Corpsmen had made a circle around me and I look at the lead one. "But, why would you believe a Ravager, right?" She steps forward and I watch her.

"By authority of the Nova Corps, I hereby place you under arrest for kidnapping. Do not resist." I look at her then the Corpsmen to see they had blasters trained on me and have them charged up. "If you do, the Corpsmen will have no other choice than to open fire on you and their aim is impeccable." Blue streaks were flashing across my implant and I glance at the three Corpsmen, thinking about how easily I could get her before they could fire.

"If you come with us peacefully, we will not take any member of your crew that is wanted by the Nova Corps. If not, we will be forced to take them all with us. We did bring reinforcements. What will it be, Miss Udonta?"

"It's Captain to you," I smirk and uncross my arms to raise my hands, my ring finger and pinky resting against my palm. "Congratulations. You've caught me." The taller Nova Corpsman comes over and cuffs my arms behind my back while I continue to smirk at her. "But you ain't keeping me."

"We will see about that." She turns on her heel and heads back onto the ship. The Corpsman drags me along between him and another Corpsman and we board the ship.

I'm tossed into a cell on the ship with my cuffs off and my weapons in their possession with my wrist com and earpiece while the holopads were left in my pockets. I take them out and wait for a good time to press the one with the virus, which I've decided to name Travel Log, to the floor so that they don't get suspicious. I had a view of the windshield and radar while I put the one with the fix, which I've decided to call Command, back in my pocket.

A Kree mothership suddenly appears and I quickly put the Travel Log holopad in my pocket as we're captured in the tractor beam so that I don't hit it on the floor of the ship. _"Nova Corps, we are aware that you have a fugitive on board. She is wanted by the Kree. Surrender her to us and we will let you live."_

"They're lying to you! Once they get me, they'll kill you for the Hell of it!" I hiss at the leading Nova Corpsman and she ignores me, looking at the Kree on the screen.

"You have a deal."

_"Lovely. A guard will be docking shortly to accept her from you. Then we will send you on your way."_

"Thank you." The transmission ends and she turns to smirk at me. "Looks like we'll just have to tell Nova Prime that you were killed in a blaster fight. That's too bad. Cuff her." The taller Corpsman drags me out and cuffs me to be ready for the Kree guard while she contacts Nova Prime and tells her that I had died in an escape attempt with an escape pod on the ship because I wasn't visible in the transmission. She says that I got blown up.

The guard boards the ship and takes me, attaching a gag in my mouth so I can't whistle while taking my weapons from the Corpsman. He then empties my pockets before handing the holopads to the Nova Corpsman that was holding me and drags me back to his ship. He pilots away and presses a button. "I have 22-3-16. You are clear to destroy the ship."

The response is the Nova Corps ship being destroyed without a trace left behind and I get shoved into a chair, getting cuffed to it for now. "You have made our lives very difficult, 22-3-16. You will regret that."

\----------

Jay's pacing controls while the other Captains, First Mates, Quill, and his crew watch him and he looks at the holoscreen as a notification for a transmission pops up. "What does she want now?" He answers the transmission and looks at her.

_"Mister Fletch."_

"Nova Prime."

_"Captain Rogue Udonta was apprehended by my Nova Corpsmen but she died in an escape attempt. The escape pod she was in was shot down and it exploded. I deeply apologize for the loss of your wife."_ She ends the transmission after that and Jay grips the back of the chair, silent. The leads were also there and watch him slightly.

"Boy," Stakar says and Jay takes a deep breath. "You're Captain of this ship."

"Get out," Jay says to the leads and they do so before he turns to look at Stakar. "She isn't dead."

"Boy-" Yondu starts but Jay spins on him and glares at him, fire in his eyes.

"No! She had a plan! When she has one, she sticks to it! She wouldn't change it at the last second like that!" He snarls and runs a hand through his hair. "She isn't dead."

"Where is she then, Jay?" Quill asks and glares at Jay.

"I don't know."

"Then how the Hell do you know she isn't dead?"

"Because I do!"

"How?" Jay punches Quill in the face and knocks him to the floor with a bloody nose.

"Because I know her and that's all that I need to know to know that she isn't dead," He growls and Quill stands, wiping blood from his face. "But you wouldn't know that since whenever you were around, you got into some kind of screaming match with her and tried to keep me away from her." Quill swings at him and he catches his wrist, pinning it behind his back before shoving him away. "Because you wanted to try to keep her as a little kid when she had grown up long before you met each other and you were too stubborn, stupid, or both to realize that. Rogue is too smart to stray from a plan, too good of a pilot to get shot down by Nova Corps, and too stubborn to let them take her to Kyln Two or just lay down and die."

"If she's alive, why would Nova Prime tell us she's dead?"

"Because her Nova Corpsmen lied to her," A recruit from Nova Corps says from the door and they all look at her. "The Nova Corpsmen that came to get her are notorious among the ranks for being corrupt and for dropping wanted felons off on a planet, killing them once planetside or leaving them to die on a desolate planet that's devoid of any life that could save the felon, such as food, water, and shelter."

"Why ain't Nova Prime git 'em gone?" Yondu asks and she shrugs.

"Nova Prime didn't have enough evidence to use to get rid of them...?"

"Wha' planets they use ta ditch 'em?"

"They rotated them randomly and were the only ones who knew since they kept them out of Nova Corps jurisdiction." Jay taps a few things on the holoscreen and pulls up a tracker system, dismissing the recruit.

"You have a tracker on her?"

"Yes. I put it one on me, too. So don't get ass pissed off, Quill. I put one on us in case one of us got captured by anyone again so we could find each other. Or have someone else find us. All of the leads are aware of them." He pulls up Rogue's tracker and can't get a signal. "Damnit... Tracker got destroyed..." He rubs his face slightly and swipes it away, sighing.

"You think we want to admit that Rogue's dead? Trust me, we don't. That kid might have been annoying, stubborn, and stupid sometimes, she was a decent kid," Rocket says and goes to stand next to Jay. "You need to give her what she deserves after this long of being a Ravager, Jay..." Jay just nods and Krugarr opens portals to all of their ships. Stakar steps through the portal to his ship with Martinex while contacting the other Captains and the Captains step through their portals.

Jay goes to get anything that Rogue left that would be an extension of her and grabs her ring that she had accidentally left on the bar, holding it to his chest. "Gods..." He puts it on and tucks it under his clothes. "Keeping you close to my heart, sweet girl..." He gathers up some stuff that is an extension of her and goes to the funeral airlock to prepare everything with Nebula. "Nebula..."

"Yes, Sir?"

"I want you to be my First Mate..." She nods and helps him with setting up a rest bed for Rogue.

"It would be my honor, Captain. And if she's still alive?"

"Then it goes back to the way it was... But... It's not looking good..." She nods and they finish up before Jay calls the crew there. They do the Ravager Funeral for Rogue's belongings since they don't have a body and the other Clans ships fire out the Colors. The leads say a few things about Rogue while Jay listens and watches the colors blend with the stardust from the rest bed and Rogue's belongings.

The crew disperses and Nebula goes to take care of it as her new job as First Mate dictates so Jay can grieve.

\-----------

The Kree forces me into a two-piece raggedy outfit and destroys everything I had on except for my weapons. She throws me into a cell with chains on my ankles and wrists and a collar around my neck.

Someone comes in and presses a button on the wall, making me fall to the floor because the collar is attracted to it like a magnet, face down. The Kree unfurls a whip and beats me with it. "This will teach you how to fight for us. How to obey us. How to be a good battle slave." They hit me with each sentence and I grit down on the gag against the pain, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of crying out around it.

They continue and I start to scream in pain around the gag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of this part of the series and the next one will be started by tomorrow.


End file.
